G League Maine Celtics

Second Half Sinks Maine Celtics

Published on January 28, 2023 under NBA G League (G League)
Maine Celtics News Release


PORTLAND, ME - The Maine Celtics shooters went cold in the second half, and as a result they were defeated by the Birmingham Squadron Saturday afternoon, 113-106.

Kamar Baldwin led Maine (8-5) with 23 points and four assists. Marial Shayok added 20 points. Marvin Smith Jr. posted 16 points and six rebounds. Two-Way rookie JD Davison put up 14 points, four rebounds and eight assists. Eric Demers logged 12 points and a career-high five assists on 4-5 from long-range. Two-Way big Mfiondu Kabengele posted 10 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Two-Way wing Dereon Seabron put up 27 points, six rebounds and eight assists to lead Birmingham (4-12). James Kelly Sr. followed up with 20 points and 10 boards. Feron Hunt had 18 and five rebounds and Javonte Smart had 13 points. Jordan Swing tallied 11 points and Zylan Cheatham totaled nine points and 11 rebounds. Birmingham out-scored Maine in the paint by a mark of 78-36, and shot 58.4% (45-77) from the floor.

Smith's triple got the afternoon started for the Celtics, with Hunt laying it in sooner after to put Birmingham on the board. Shayok left early with an injury as the Celtics were up 8-2 but would return later in the quarter. Demers canned his first two three-point attempts, giving him an 8-11 streak after a 6-9 shooting performance on Wednesday. The Squadron went on an 8-3 run late in the first to get within two possessions, but an 8-2 Celtics run pushed them out to a 30-24 lead after one.

In a scorching hot first half, the Celtics shot 11-17 from downtown, assisted on 13 of their first 16 made field goals and played up-tempo with crisp ball movement. Trey Davis connected with Davison for a thunderous lob midway through the second that made it 48-36 in favor of Maine. The Celtics held a double-digit lead for most of the half, working to get whatever they wanted offensively. At halftime, Maine was in full control and led 59-46, shooting 54.8 percent from the field as a team while holding Birmingham to 1-11 from deep across the first two quarters.

In what was a tale of two halves, the Celtics held a double-digit lead for a few minutes to open the third, but a 10-0 run capped off by a ferocious Hunt slam got the Squadron back within single digits. At one point in the third, Maine led 64-49; less than five minutes later, it was 66-63. After the Squadron shot 15-20 in the quarter and Swing sank a floater at the buzzer, they led 80-78.

Shayok's three got the lead back for Maine and some well-earned hustle points from Baldwin stretched the Celtics' lead to six, 88-82 before the Squadron went on a 26-8 run to seal the game. Seabron and Smart powered an aggressive Birmingham offense to a come-from-behind victory after trailing by a baker's dozen at halftime. Maine's shooting went cold in the second half, and as a result they fell, 113-106.

Following today's contest, the Celtics will head out for a one-game road trip to the nation's capital face the Capital City Go-Go before returning to the Expo for a back-to-back with the College Park Skyhawks.

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