Red Claws Win in Dramatic Fashion
March 29, 2015 - NBA G League (G League)
Maine Celtics News Release
The Maine Red Claws, presented by Unum, extended their franchise record home winning streak to 9 games as they defeated the Grand Rapids Drive in comeback fashion this afternoon. The last ten seconds of the game featured some of the most exciting action of the season as the Red Claws were able to battle their way back in the second half and secure the victory with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game..
With 6.4 seconds remaining, Jason Calliste hit a three pointer with time expiring on the shot clock. On the ensuing inbound, James Young stole the inbounding pass and passed the ball to Tim Frazier who found Omari Johnson rushing towards the hoop. Johnson's jumper from 15 feet found the back of the basket with 2.1 seconds remaining to give the Red Claws a 1 point lead.
Kevin Murphy (16 points, 11 rebounds) almost broke the hearts of the Red Claws faithful with a three pointer at the buzzer, but the shot was waived off upon further review. Grand Rapids never lost the lead in the game until the final seconds, thanks to a strong all-around team performance.
The Drives success in the first three quarters was contributed by Hasheem Thabeet's six blocks on the night. Thabeet (16 points, 5 rebounds, 6 blocks) was a force to be reckoned with in the paint both on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. Manny Atkins (10 points, 7 rebounds), Adonis Thomas (22 points, 6 rebounds), and Diante Garrett (11 points, 5 rebounds) all contributed to the offensive efforts of Wolters and Thabeet with double-digits performances this afternoon.
The Red Claws were able to find their hot hand as Tim Frazier and James Young connected on a pair of alley oop dunks to begin the 2nd quarter. Young's slam dunks set the momentum for the Red Claws in the second half and help cut a 17 point deficit by the middle of the third quarter.
James Young (20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists), on assignment from the Boston Celtics, led the Red Claws in scoring this afternoon with 20 points. Tim Frazier (15 points, 8 rebounds, 14 assists), just two rebounds shy of his fifth triple-double of the season, turned in a great offensive performance as he trailed Young with 15 points. Chris Babb (15 points, 4 rebounds), Romero Osby (15 points, 5 rebounds), Omari Johnson (15 points, 5 rebounds), Davion Berry (12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists), and Jason Calliste (9 points) all finished in double digits.
With the victory tonight the Eastern Conference Champion, Maine Red Claws, improve to 33-14 overall and head into a three game road trip to finish the regular season. For Grand Rapids, the loss drops them to 21-25 overall on the season. The Red Claws will look to extend the franchise record winning streak even further as they head to Canton, Ohio to take on the Canton Charge. Maine will await to hear their first-round playoff opponent in the coming week.
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