Mad Ants Top Maine, 133-119, in Wednesday Matinee
January 25, 2023 - NBA G League (G League)
Indiana Mad Ants News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Fort Wayne rolled by a heavy shooting afternoon from Maine to pick up a 133-119 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday.
The Celtics took 52 three pointers (hitting 22), but Fort Wayne was 57.7 percent from deep themselves (15-26) in the win. Gabe York led Fort Wayne with 26 points while Justin Anderson added 32 and Jermaine Samuels Jr. had 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Maine was paced by Marial Shayok's 30 points.
The game, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was moved to Wednesday due to travel issues for the Celtics.
Reigning NBA G League Player of the Week Gabe York got off to a hot start, scoring 11 of the Mad Ants' first 13 points. Marial Shayok scored four straight points for Maine at the 4:35 mark of the first quarter to draw the Celtics within one at 18-17. Scottie Lindsey evened the score at 20 with 2:45 to go with a three point make for Maine. An A.J. Reeves three in the closing seconds gave Maine a 27-25 lead at the first quarter.
The Mad Ants reclaimed the lead on back-to-back possessions with a York three and a Samuels transition basket with 8:22 to go to lead 34-30. Fort Wayne would push their lead to as many as seven with 5:09 to play on a Justin Anderson power move at the basket but Marvin Smith would answer back with a three pointer on the other end. An Anderson three pointer with 1:21 to play in the half pushed Fort Wayne's lead to 10 for the first time at 56-46; the Mad Ants would take a 61-46 lead to the half. Fort Wayne shot 51.2 percent in the first half, led by York's 18 and 16 points from Anderson.
The Mad Ants pushed their lead to 21 in the third, but with 6:29 to play, a Shayok three was an exclamation point for the Celtics' run that made the game 79-68, still in Fort Wayne's favor. With 1:27 left in the third, a Kamar Baldwin got the game back into single digits for the Celtics at 90-81. Fort Wayne would continue to lead after three quarters, 93-81.
The teams came out exchanging baskets in the fourth quarter with no traction for either side in the first four minutes but a Lindsey three pointer near eight minutes again got Maine back within single digits at 105-96. Maine rallied back within five and Fort Wayne answered; with 3:55 to play, a Samuels basket made it 114-106 for the Mad Ants.
York hit seven three pointers in the win, adding four steals while David Stockton led the Mad Ants with 10 assists.
Maine saw Eric Demers (20 points, 6 three pointers) and Kamar Baldwin (28 points, 5 three pointers) shine.
• Discuss this story on the NBA G League message board...
NBA G League Stories from January 25, 2023
- Windy City Bulls Run Away from Capital City Go-Go - Windy City Bulls
- Iowa Wolves Drop Road Trip Finale to Long Island Nets - Iowa Wolves
- Hinton's Late Dagger Lifts Charge - Cleveland Charge
- Hot-Handed Nets Silence Wolves at Home - Long Island Nets
- Wisconsin Herd Drops to Motor City Cruise - Wisconsin Herd
- 905 Open Homestand with Victory over the Squadron - Raptors 905
- Short-Handed Maine Celtics Fall to Fort Wayne - Maine Celtics
- Mad Ants Top Maine, 133-119, in Wednesday Matinee - Indiana Mad Ants
- Birmingham Falls to Raptors 905 on the Road 110-89 - Birmingham Squadron
- Force Moves Over .500 With 92-87 Victory Over Spurs - Sioux Falls Skyforce
- Days Captains Vipers To Overtime Win Against Mexico City With Career-High Night - Rio Grande Valley Vipers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
