Ward's Triple-Double Leads Maine to 5th Straight Win
G League Maine Celtics

Ward's Triple-Double Leads Maine to 5th Straight Win

Published on November 28, 2025 under NBA G League (G League)
Maine Celtics News Release


WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Hason Ward led Maine with a triple-double as the Celtics dominated the Westchester Knicks 98-84 on Friday night to win their fifth consecutive game.

Maine (5-3) earned their first road victory of the NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament. Hason War d recorded a triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocks. Hayden Gray scored a career-high 24 points off the bench on an efficient 8-12 shooting (4-5 from three) to lead all scorers. Jalen Bridges added 15 points and Max Shulga scored 14 as Maine shot 44% (33-75) from the floor, including 29.7% (11-37) from three. Gray and Bridges each snagged three steals as Westchester turned the ball over 22 times which resulted in 28 points for the Celtics.

Ward is the first Celtic to record a triple-double since Drew Peterson on March 20, 2025, vs Osceola. It's just the third triple-double in franchise history with 10 blocks or more. Jordan Mickey had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocked shots on December 31, 2015 against Texas and Fab Melo recorded a G League record 14 blocks to go with 15 points and 16 rebounds on December 22, 2012 against the Erie BayHawks.

Dink Pate led Westchester (1-4) with 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Toby Okani recorded a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Donovan Williams scored 14 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, and Nick Jourdain finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. The Knicks shot just 31.3% (31-99) from the floor and 19.6% (9-46) from three.

Both teams struggled to find their offense early in the game. Maine turned to their defense and after a turnover by the Knicks, Kendall Brown scored in transition plus the foul to give Maine an early 7-5 lead with 8:39 remaining in the first quarter. Defense led to offense again for the Celtics when Aaron Scott stole the ball and found Hayden Gray for the layup to put Maine in front, 19-15 with 3:39 left. With 1:09 to go in the quarter, Dink Pate found Ibrahima Diallo on the lob to put Westchester back on top, 22-21. Led by eight first quarter points by Max Shulga, the Celtics scored the final five points of the quarter and led the Knicks 29-25.

A minute into the second quarter, Gray knocked down a deep three as Maine extended their lead over the Knicks to nine. The Celtics held Westchester scoreless for the first three minutes, and Gray scored again in the open floor to give Maine a 36-25 lead with 9:09 remaining. Westchester responded with an 8-0 run as Bryson Warren connected on a midrange jump shot at the 6:54 mark to cut the Celtics lead down to three. With 3:13 left in the half, Brown pulled up from the free throw line and extended Maine's lead back up to eight, 45-37. Kameron Warrens followed Brown's effort with a triple to match Maine's largest lead of the night to that point. Gray was a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc in the first half, including a triple with 30.2 seconds remaining to give the Celtics a 57-41 lead at halftime. Gray led Maine with 15 first half points and Brown added 11. Maine shot 51.3% (20-39) from the floor and 35.3% (6-17) from three and the Knicks shot just 35.6% (16-45) including 22.7% (5-22) from distance in the first half.

After Shulga drained an early three to put the Celtics up by 19, Westchester responded with a 9-0 run to cut the Celtics' lead down to 10 five minutes into the second half. Nick Jourdain banked in a three-pointer with 2:55 left in the third to pull the Knicks within six of Maine. Jalen Bridges answered on the next Maine possession as the Celtics led 73-64 with two minutes to go. Gray's big night continued on a steal and score to extend Maine's lead to 13 with a minute left in the third. Gray's hot shooting continued with a long three with just 1.8 seconds left in the quarter to put the Celtics in front of the Knicks 80-66. Gray led all scorers through three quarters with 24 points on 8-10 shooting, including a perfect 4-4 from three.

Westchester continued to stay within striking distance of the Celtics early in the fourth quarter. A steal and score by Jourdain capped off a 7-0 run that brought Westchester back within nine with 7:12 left in the game. Bridges knocked down a corner three and then cut through the lane for a dunk to give Maine a 96-80 lead with under five minutes remaining. Ward continued to protect the paint and picked up his 10th block in the final minute as Maine rolled to a 98-84 win in White Plains to improve to 5-3 in Tip-Off Tournament play.

INJURY REPORT: Rahsool Diggins and Two-Way player Ron Harper Jr. were both out of Friday night's game due to injury. Two-Way player Amari Williams is with Boston. Westchester was without Two-Way players Tosan Evbuomwan (NWT) and Kevin McCullar (Injury). The Knicks were also without Isaiah Roby and Obadiah Noel due to injury.

The Maine Celtics will face Westchester again on Sunday at 3 p.m. The game will broadcast live on NBA TV.

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NBA G League Stories from November 28, 2025


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