Solid Defense, Balanced Attack Lead Maine
December 3, 2023 - NBA G League (G League)
Maine Celtics News Release
WASHINGTON, DC - The Maine Celtics held an opponent under 100 points for the first time this season, and five players scored in double figures as Maine collected a 103-99 win over the Go-Go.
DJ Steward led Maine (5-4) in scoring with 24 points, adding four rebounds and three assists. Two-Way guard JD Davison turned in 18 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth double-double of the season; Two-Way forward Nathan Knight had 12 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks for his third double-double. Brandon Slater recorded a career-high 13 points and Tony Snell added 13 of his own. Boston assignee Jordan Walsh logged nine points and 10 rebounds.
Jules Bernard led Capital City (5-3) with 22 points and eight rebounds. Two-Way center Eugene Omoruyi finished with 19 points and six rebounds and Two-Way guard Jared Butler totaled 15 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Chase Audige had 10 points and three steals.
Davison drained a triple and assisted on one from Snell to get the afternoon started for the Celtics. Four early turnovers handed the Go-Go some free possessions, but Maine's defense held the Go-Go to 3-11 shooting to open the game, earning an 8-6 lead at the first timeout break. Maine didn't shoot particularly well from the floor early either, though the occasional three kept the offense afloat. A 7-0 run gave the Celtics an eight-point lead late in the first before Butler's 1-for-2 in the final seconds cut Capital City's deficit to 26-20 after one. Maine made six 3-pointers in the opening frame.
The first half of this game was possibly Maine's best defensive half of the season - the Celtics held the Go-Go scoreless for nearly six minutes to begin the second quarter, getting out to a 20-point stiff-arm with a 14-0 run. Butler cleaned up Hamidou Diallo's miss to end the long cold spell for Capital City, which fired back with a 7-0 run once it got back on track. Maine's defense was on a string for the first 24 minutes, holding the Go-Go to 33.3% (15-45) from the field and 15.4% (2-13) from downtown, giving them a 53-41 lead heading into the locker room. Omoruyi kept the Go-Go within striking distance by scoring seven points in the final two minutes of the half.
After a back-and-forth start to the third, Omoruyi and Butler each sank a triple that pulled Capital City within single digits. The Go-Go outscored Maine 19-9 over the first six minutes of the second half to get them right back in the game; Slater's corner three and Taylor Funk's transition finish stretched Maine's lead back out to nine after Capital City cut the deficit to two. Through three quarters, Maine led 76-67, going on a 5-2 run to close it out and give them some extra cushion.
The Go-Go started the final frame on a 7-3 run, though Maine responded with a 9-2 run to get the lead back to double digits. The rookies Audige and Walsh each had a couple of much-needed buckets for their respective teams to keep things close early in the fourth.
As crunch time approached, Steward began to leave his mark on the game; a putback finish gave Maine a seven-point lead with under five minutes to play. Slater made a pair of 1-for-2 free throws, giving himself seven points in the quarter and stretching the Celtics lead to 96-87. A 12-2 run from the Go-Go gave them a huge push, and Bernard hit a pair from the line to give them their first lead of the game - though it was brief. Davison and Omoruyi traded buckets before Jordan Schakel tipped in a miss for his only two points of the game, handing Maine a 100-99 lead. Steward came up clutch in the final minute, forcing a huge turnover and going 3-4 from the stripe when the Go-Go were forced to foul. Baldwin's tying 3-pointer with under 10 seconds left fell short, and Maine held on for the win.
The Celtics are back at the Portland Expo for a back-to-back against the Delaware Blue Coats on Dec. 6 and 7, with another home game awaiting on Dec. 10 against Raptors 905.
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