Short-Handed Maine Celtics Fall in Delaware
G League Maine Celtics

Short-Handed Maine Celtics Fall in Delaware

Published on February 19, 2026 under NBA G League (G League)
Maine Celtics News Release


WILMINGTON, Del. - Kendall Brown scored a season-high 27 points, but the Maine Celtics fell to the Delaware Blue Coats 127-120 in their first game back from the NBA All-Star break on Thursday night.

Maine falls to 11-13 after losing their fifth straight game. The Celtics were shorthanded again on Thursday, suiting up just eight guys against Delaware. Brown was one of six Celtics to score in double figures. Jalen Bridges scored 24 points, and Aaron Scott added 17 points, eight rebounds, and three steals. Hayden Gray and Hason Ward e ach notched a double-double in the loss. Gray packed the stat sheet with 15 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and three steals. Ward scored 13 and grabbed 11 rebounds. Kameron Warrens added 16 points from the bench. Maine attempted 103 shots on Friday, converting 49 of them (46.3%) from the floor.

MarJon Beauchamp led Delaware with a game-high 31 points on 13-22 shooting. DeAndre Williams dominated with 27 points and 12 rebounds on 13-16 shooting and Johni Broome posted 26 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Malcolm Hill also poured in 21 points, six rebounds, and seven assists as Delaware shot 55% (54-98) from the floor.

Kendall Brown, back in the starting lineup after missing the last five games with a back injury, made his presence felt early on Thursday. Brown slashed down the baseline for the slam to give Maine a 12-9 advantage with 8:05 to go in the first. Brown led Maine with eight first quarter points. With 4:34 remaining, Johni Broome snagged an offensive rebound and his putback put the Blue Coats on top 23-18. Broome continued to get it done in the paint, and another two for the 76er on assignment gave Delaware a 32-23 lead with 2:44 to play in the opening quarter. Broome tallied 11 points in the quarter. Maine trailed by as many as 11 but finished the quarter on an 8-2 run to trail the Blue Coats 36-31.

Jalen Bridges drilled a three pointer one minute into the second quarter to level the score at 36. Delaware started to build their lead up again, and MarJon Beauchamp gave the Blue Coats a 47-40 lead with 7:19 left in the first half. Broome was left open and buried a three at the 4:13 mark of the second to grow Delaware's lead to 12, 56-44. Beauchamp knocked a corner three with less than a minute to go to grow the Blue Coats' lead to their largest of the first half, 67-53 at the break. Brown led Maine with 10 first half points as the Celtics shot 46% (23-50) from the floor and 21.4% (3-14) from three. Broome led the Blue Coats with 18 first half points on 54.5% (30-55) shooting from the floor.

Maine kicked off the third quarter on a 10-2 run, led by a pair of threes by Hayden Gray to cut the Blue Coats lead down to six. With 8:42 to go in the third, Gray lobbed it to Brown to pull Maine within four. Delaware took back control at the midpoint of the quarter, as Kennedy Chandler found Beauchamp in transition to extend their lead back up to 12, 81-69. Maine still wouldn't go away. The Celtics battled back again, and a transition slam dunk by Kameron Warrens made it a one-point ballgame with 3:15 remaining in the quarter. With 58.5 seconds to go, Ward scored around the cup to tie the game for the first time in the second half at 89 apiece. Maine shot 64% and outscored Delaware 39-27 in the quarter to trail by just two, 94-92 at the start of the final quarter.

Gray dished to Bridges to pull the Celtics within one, 98-97 just under two minutes into the fourth quarter. Delaware began to pull away once again. Drew Cisse scored on back-to-back possessions for the Blue Coats to extend Delaware's lead back to nine with seven minutes to go. With just eight plays available, Maine began to run out of gas down the stretch and reverse layup by DeAndre Williams delivered Delaware a 114-103 advantage with 4:14 remaining. Maine punched back with six straight points, but the Blue Coats continued to find an answer and held off the Celtics to win 127-120.

Maine will face off against Delaware again on Saturday at 6 p.m. The game will broadcast live on Prime Video.

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NBA G League Stories from February 19, 2026


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