Celtics seek historic ninth consecutive win at Capital City

WASHINGTON - Maine faces the Capital City Go-Go on Wednesday afternoon in the first of three games remaining on the NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament schedule for the Celtics.

Maine (8-3) will battle the Go-Go (4-6) at 2 p.m. at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C. The game will stream live on NBAGLeague.com. The Celtics are currently in position to be one of the top eight teams in the NBA G League that advance to the Tip-Off Tournament at the G League Winter Showcase in Florida. The Celtics are 2-3 in road games so far this season.

The Celtics chase a piece of history on Wednesday when they seek their ninth consecutive win, which would be a new franchise record. This year's Celtics join the 2024-25 Maine Celtics and the 2014-15 Maine Red Claws as the only teams in franchise history to win eight consecutive games. Maine's winning streak is tied for the second longest active winning streak in the NBA G League. Raptors 905 is 10-0 in the Tip-Off Tournament and Salt Lake City has also won eight in a row.

"Team. That's everything to me," said Maine Head Coach Phil Pressey. T-E-A-M. Together everyone achieves more. That's something I live by for the coaching staff and for the players. It's all about the team. When you put the team first, the wins will stack up, but it also helps you overcome any type of loss."

On Sunday, Maine stifled the College Park Skyhawks 118-95 behind a triple-double by Celtics Two-Way player Amari Williams. Williams dished out a career-high 11 assists to go with 10 points and 13 rebounds. The rookie out of Kentucky is fourth in the G League in rebounds per game (11.2) and is second in assists per game among centers (5.3).

"He's a big point guard," Pressey said. "If you have your big man getting a triple-double than the talent is there. For him, it's building those habits over and over again and being consistent with those habits, but the future is bright for him."

Jalen Bridges finished with a team-high 20 points on an efficient 7-9 shooting from the floor and 4-6 shooting from three. Keon Johnson scored 17 points off the bench, Kendall Brown added 15 points while Max Shulga chipped in 14. Maine shot it 49.5% (45-91) from the floor as a team and 38.2% (13-34) from three. 

"He makes the game simple. Anytime you have a big that is a willing and talented playmaker, it opens up the floor that much more," Bridges said.

Johnson has now played two games with Maine and brings 161 games of NBA experience to the club. Bridges and Brown were both Two-Way players last season, and have a combined 29 NBA games under their belts. That talent and experience has been invaluable for Maine during the winning streak.

"Those guys are NBA players," Pressey said. "They've been in the NBA and know what that looks like, and they have something to prove. It's fun to see those guys step up when the Two-Ways aren't all available. Their usage rate goes up, but when the Two-Ways are here and they're still impactful, it shows they are adaptable to any situation."

Capital City looks to snap a three game skid after most recently dropping two games to East division leader Raptors 905 on December 3 and December 5. Like the Celtics, Capital City has made a habit of forcing their opponents in turnovers. Both teams average over 10 steals per game, with Maine ranking seventh in the G League (10.6 SPG) and the Go-Go ranking ninth (10.1). The Two teams are also in the top-10 in blocked shots per game, with each recording over six per contest.

The Go-Go's Two-Way players are Sharife Cooper, Tristan Vukcevic, and Jamir Watkins. Including assignment players, eight players have averaged 10 points or more for Capital City this season. Four players are scoring 18 points or more. While on assignment from the Washington Wizards, Will Riley has averaged 26 PPG in three appearances with the Go-Go and AJ Johnson has averaged 19.5 PPG in two appearances. NBA veteran Skal Labissiere leads the Go-Go frontcourt with 18.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Labissiere has played over 150 NBA Games and is sixth in the G league in blocks. Maine Celtics forward Hason Ward is right behind him in seventh with 2.3 BPG. The Go-Go will give try to give the Celtics all they can handle, as Maine continues to be motivated to build on their standard everyday.

"It's all about winning. These guys are trying to move up, and that's what this is about," Pressey said. "I try to voice that winning is everything. The more you win, everybody gets a piece of success."

"We just love to win. We'll do whatever it takes and whatever happens, happens and we'll be happy with the result," Bridges said. "If we stick to how we've been playing and just playing Celtics basketball than the sky is the limit for this team." 

Maine will play two games against Capital City this week. After they face the Go-Go on Wednesday afternoon, Maine will run it back on Friday at 1 p.m. in Washington, D.C. Both games will stream live on NBAGLeague.com.