Clemons' Third Straight Triple-Double Carries Maine Celtics
Published on February 17, 2022 under NBA G League (G League)
Maine Celtics News Release
PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Celtics, presented by Unum, collected their third win in a row as they defeated the College Park Skyhawks, 122-113.
Chris Clemons led Maine with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists. It is the reigning NBA G League Player of the Week's third consecutive triple-double. Deonte Burton put up 24 points on 10-19 shooting. Jaysean Paige had 22 points and four rebounds. Brodric Thomas scored 18 points, adding seven rebounds and six assists. John Bohannon and Juwan Morgan each posted 10 points, with Bohannon hauling in eight rebounds.
Sharife Cooper registered 37 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for College Park. Justin Tillman turned in 24 points and 18 rebounds. Langston Galloway finished with 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists. AJ Lawson had 14 points and 10 rebounds and former Red Claw Marcus Georges-Hunt tallied 11 points and five steals.
Bohannon was called for an illegal screen on the game's first possession, but Burton quickly stole the ball back and found Thomas for a three. Tillman scored College Park's first bucket and then Burton hit a three of his own. Cooper and Galloway's drive-and-kick game got the Skyhawks going with some clean looks. Bohannon finished an alley-oop layup from Clemons and College Park led 16-10. A 10-2 run for the Skyhawks came to an end when Paige buried a mid-range pull-up. Thomas' three brought Maine back within 10, but College Park stretched it out to eleven, 30-19 after one.
Paige and Clemons buried consecutive triples to open the second. Lawson knocked down a three and Clemons answered with another before Georges-Hunt hit from deep. Bohannon's 1-for-2 free throw made it 43-40. Burton completed an and-one after a Skyhawks timeout prior to a short College Park run. Eric Demers freed up Thomas with a solid screen, cutting Maine's deficit back to three. The Skyhawks went on another run, this time 9-0, before Bohannon's layup and Demers' three brought the Celtics back, trailing 62-55 at the break. Maine shot 20-43 (46.5 percent) from the field, 8-19 (42.1 percent) from downtown and 4-5 (80 percent) at the line in the first half. College Park shot 25-50 (50 percent) from the field, 4-13 (30.8 percent) from downtown and 5-6 (83.3 percent) at the line.
The Celtics started the quarter a bit slow but they picked it up promptly, thanks in part to a pair of electric dunks from Burton. The pace of the game slowed down as the third went on, which favored Maine in spite of the Celtics running a small lineup for most of the quarter following a game-ending injury to Morgan. Wayne Blackshear's low-post finish tied it up and Paige's triple made it 80-77. Blackshear drew a charge to further ignite the crowd. The Celtics led 84-80 heading into the fourth, outscoring College Park 29-18 in the quarter.
Paige began the final frame with a three, helping Maine out to a quick 7-2 run that gave them a 91-84 advantage. Demers hit a floater but Galloway cut College Park's deficit to four, 93-89 soon after. Georges-Hunt's three made it a one-point game. The Celtics responded with a 6-0 run to put themselves over the 100-point mark and distance themselves from the Skyhawks. Cooper's three and a transition finish from Galloway made it close, but the Celtics defense and free throw shooting closed it out with the help of Clemons' third-consecutive triple-double, the 19th in franchise history. Maine finished
The Maine Celtics embark on a five-game road trip, beginning with a matchup against the Grand Rapids Gold on Feb. 24 before back-to-back games in Windy City on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27.
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