Shulga Carries Maine Down the Stretch in Road Win
G League Maine Celtics

Shulga Carries Maine Down the Stretch in Road Win

Published on February 21, 2026 under NBA G League (G League)
Maine Celtics News Release


WILMINGTON, Del. - Max Shulga's go-ahead three with 31 seconds remaining helped the Maine Celtics beat the Delaware Blue Coats 102-101 on Saturday, snapping a five-game losing streak.

Holding on to a one-point lead with less than ten seconds to go, a steal by Hayden Gray secured the win for the Celtics. Gray had five steals in the contest and inched closer to Maine's single season steals record. Maine (12-13) forced Delaware (11-10) into a season-high 25 turnovers on Saturday night.

In his return to the lineup, Shulga led Maine with 26 points and 10 assists on 9-14 shooting, including 6-9 from three. Kendall Brown added 20 points; Hason Ward provided 16 points and seven rebounds, and Gray finished with 13 points, four assists, and five steals off the bench for the Celtics. Maine shot just 46.4% (39-84) from the floor and 31.4% (11-35) from three.

Johni Broome led Delaware with a game-high 27 points and seven rebounds. DeAndre Williams posted a double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Kennedy Chandler had a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists. The Blue Coats outrebounded Maine 52-36 and scored 68 points in the paint. As a team, Delaware shot 46.7% (42-90) from the floor and 22.6% (7-31) from beyond the arc.

Tied at 14 apiece, Johni Broome picked up where he left off on Thursday. Broome scored in the paint plus the foul to give the Blue Coats a three-point advantage at the 5:43 mark of the opening frame. Broome posted nine points in the quarter. Maine finished the first quarter on a 14-0 run. After the Blue Coats claimed a 20-16 lead, Maine turned defense into offense and a steal and score by Max Shulga put the Celtics in front 28-20 with 1:13 remaining in the first quarter. The Two-Way player scored 10 points in the quarter as Maine led the Blue Coats 30-20.

Maine's lead would grow to 12 after a made free throw worth two for Jalen Bridges early in the second. Delaware responded with an 11-0 run, and a made free throw by Broome pulled the Blue Coats back within one, 32-31 with 8:22 left in the first half. Broome and the Blue Coats weren't done; Broome euro-stepped through the lane as Delaware claimed a 35-32 lead. It would become a 20-0 run Delaware run that would give the Blue Coats a 40-32 advantage. With 3:05 left in the half, Shulga assisted Brown to put Maine back in front by two. Delaware's Drew Cisse scored at the buzzer to end the half, and the Blue Coats outscored Maine 36-18 in the frame to claim a 56-48 lead at the break. Broome led all scorers with 25 points.

Brown went coast to coast and scored at the cup as Maine started the second half on a 7-0 run. With 7:36 remaining in the third, Brown threw down a hammer dunk over the Blue Coats defender to give Maine their first lead of the second half, 62-60. Both teams were trading buckets until it was Maine's turn to make another run. Kameron Warrens rattled in a free throw as a 13-2 run gave Maine an 80-69 lead with 2:06 to go in the quarter. Maine outscored Delaware 32-16 in the quarter and led 80-72 at the end of three quarters.

Gray knocked down a three-pointer with 7:43 remaining to give Maine an 89-78 lead. The Blue Coats played the entire fourth quarter without Broome, who left in the third quarter due to injury. Shulga dialed up his fourth three of the night to maintain an eight-point advantage for the Celtics with under six minutes to play. DeAndre Williams powered his way to the rim, and the and-1 play by Williams pulled the Blue Coats within tow, 94-92 with less than four minutes to go. Williams scored on the next possession over the outstretched arms of Ward to tie the game at 94. Tied at 99, Shulga's step back three put Maine in front 102-99 with just 31 seconds left on the clock. It was Shulga's sixth-made triple, which tied a season high. Leading by one, Gray sealed the victory with a game-winning steal as Maine beat the Blue Coats 102-101.

Maine's road trip continues when they face the Long Island Nets on February 23 at 7 p.m.

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NBA G League Stories from February 21, 2026


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