G League Maine Celtics

Maine Celtics' Season Comes to End with OT Loss

Published on April 2, 2022 under NBA G League (G League)
Maine Celtics News Release


LAKELAND, FL - The Maine Celtics, presented by Unum, battled until the very end, but ended their 2021-22 season with an overtime loss at the hands of the Lakeland Magic, 121-118.

Boston assignee Sam Hauser led Maine (16-16) with 24 points on six made three-pointers and nine rebounds. Deonte Burton finished with 21 points and six assists. Malik Fitts tallied 20 points and five rebounds on assignment from Boston. Matt Ryan had 16 points. Brodric Thomas posted 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Denzel Valentine neared his third-straight triple-double with 11 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Marcus Derrickson put up seven points and five rebounds.

Hassani Gravett paced Lakeland with 30 points on six made three-pointers to go with three rebounds. BJ Johnson registered 20 points and three rebounds. Jeff Dowtin Jr. turned in 15 points, three rebounds and six assists. Aleem Ford recorded 14 points and six rebounds. TJ Haws and Jannis Timma each had 12 points, with Haws adding seven assists. Jon Teske posted seven points, seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks.

Gravett splashed home a three and Johnson hit from mid-range for Lakeland before Valentine's triple broke the ice for Maine. Burton canned a pull-up two, hit from distance and threw down a fastbreak dunk to tie the game at 12. Gravett and Ford finished driving layups to put the Magic up by four. Both sides shot the ball well to start, making over 50 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc. Hauser's three gave Maine a 21-20 lead, but Lakeland responded with a 10-0 run before Ryan ended it from downtown. Haws and Derrickson traded 1-for-2 free throws, Thomas and Greg Malinowski traded triples and Timma's buzzer-beating layup gave the Magic a 37-29 advantage after one.

Johnson got the scoring started for the Magic in the second. John Bohannon dropped in a putback and Fitts nailed a three before Thomas' pair of three-ball brought the Celtics within one, 41-40. Ford answered from range for Lakeland. The Celtics and Magic mostly traded buckets for the remainder of the quarter as both teams found success attacking the lane. Lakeland led 64-58 at halftime. Maine shot 20-40 (50 percent) from the floor, 8-20 (40 percent) from downtown and 5-5 (100 percent) from the line in the first half. Lakeland went 26-50 (52 percent) from the floor, 10-21 (47.6 percent) from downtown and 1-1 (100 percent) from the line.

Gravett came off a screen and sank his fifth three of the night to open the third quarter. Hauser buried a pair from deep to power the Celtics to an 11-0 run that put them in front 69-67. Dowtin Jr. hit a couple of pull-ups to get the Magic going again, but the Celtics kept pace and Hauser knotted it up at 76 with a 1-for-2 free throw. Dowtin Jr. answered again, this time from deep. Jeremiah Tilmon's low post bucket put the Celtics down 84-83 after some back-and-forth lead changes. Fitts gave the Celtics a brief lead, but Lakeland stormed back in front. Derrickson's three made it 92-91 heading into the fourth.

Timma got a two-footer to fall on the Magic's first fourth-quarter possession, but Thomas and Derrickson converted from the line to put Maine in front, 95-94. The back-and-forth battle continued in the fourth, with neither team able to build more than a one-possession lead. Hauser's corner three put the Celtics ahead 108-106 and prompted a Lakeland timeout. The Magic left the huddle and went on a 5-0 run to take the lead. Valentine's triple brought the game back to a tie, but Dowtin Jr. came up clutch for the Magic with a go-ahead three that made it 115-113 with a minute and a half remaining. Bohannon dished to Ryan for a three that gave Maine the lead back, but Teske evened it up from the line. Ryan and Dowtin Jr. each missed a potential game-winning three on the final possession as the game went to overtime tied at 116.

Johnson broke the tie with a corner three to begin the overtime period. The Celtics offense came up empty until Thomas stole the ball and raced for a transition layup to get Maine within one, 119-118 with 7.4 seconds to play. With a foul to give, the Celtics sent Johnson to the line, who sank both free throws with five seconds left. Maine's first inbound attempt nearly caused a five-second violation before regrouping for another timeout, though Bohannon's three fell short at the buzzer as the Magic escaped with a victory. Maine finished 39-87 (44.8 percent) from the floor, 20-48 (41.7 percent) from distance and 10-11 (90.9 percent) from the stripe. Lakeland shot 45-88 (51.1 percent) from the floor, 17-38 (44.7 percent) from distance and 8-10 (80 percent) from the stripe.

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