Red Claws Fall to Raptors 905
December 4, 2016 - NBA G League (G League)
Maine Celtics News Release
Portland, ME - The Maine Red Claws, presented by Unum, saw their three game winning streak come to an end Sunday at the hands of Raptors 905, 102-89.
The Red Claws were led by Damion Lee with 25 points. Demetrius Jackson, on assignment from the Boston Celtics, added 17 points to go with 5 assists. Jordan Mickey, also on assignment, added 10 points and 9 boards. Jalen Jones contributed 11 points to go with 8 rebounds, and Arthur Edwards added 11 points off the bench.
The action went back and forth early. Mickey set up Jackson for a jumper to give Maine an early 9-6 lead. Jones and Jackson paced the Red Claws offense in the early going, along with Lee who continued to fill it up from long range, but Tavares then rattled off six straight points for the 905, which closed out the 1st quarter on a 9-2 run, taking a 29-23 lead.
In the 2nd quarter, Raptors 905 used a stifling defense to slow down the Claws attack. Tavares again went on a scoring run, dropping in three straight buckets for the 905, and also dominating the defensive glass, along with Leslie, who reached double-double status in the first half. Jackson dropped in six straight points for Maine to close out a offensively dismal period. Raptors 905 out-scored Maine 29-19 in the 2nd, taking a 58-42 lead into halftime.
Things didn't get much better for the Red Claws in the 3rd quarter, with the 905 making crucial buckets as the shot clock expired time and time again. Raptors 905 surged to as big a lead as 25 points, with Jarrod Uthoff, Tavares and Brady Heslip leading the charge. Jackson and Lee tried to get Maine back into it with a 5-0 run of their own, cutting the deficit to 18 points, but the 905 seemingly had an answer to silence every Red Claws run. Raptors 905 led Maine, 85-65 after three.
The Red Claws had one last run in them in the 4th quarter. Arthur Edwards' corner three helped swing some momentum, as Maine got the deficit to 96-83 with 3:00 to go, and Jackson made it an 11 point game with a reverse lay-in, but the Red Claws ran out of time and could not get any closer. Maine was held under 100 points for the first time this season. The Red Claws shot 45.6% from the floor (31-68), with 22 turnovers. Maine shot 41.7% (10-24) from three-point range, and 17-21 from the free throw line. Raptors 905 shot 48.4% (45-93) from the floor, 26.1% (6-23) from downtown, and 6-12 from the charity stripe.
The Red Claws hit the road to take on Fort Wayne on Thursday night, before returning to the Portland Expo Saturday for a matchup with Long Island. Tickets are on sale now by calling 207-210-6655 or visiting MaineRedClaws.com.
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NBA G League Stories from December 4, 2016
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