Maine Celtics Prepare to Battle Blue Coats

PORTLAND, Maine. - The Maine Celtics seek their fourth consecutive win when they host the Delaware Blue Coats on Thursday night at the Portland Expo.

With a 9-9 Regular Season record, the Celtics are building momentum at the halfway point of the season. Currently in ninth place, Maine stands a game back of the sixth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics' record is also right at .500 when you factor in the Tip-Off Tournament, as Maine's overall record is 17-17 after Saturday's win over Birmingham. That victory marked the first three-game winning streak of the season for the Celtics.

Thursday's game marks one of just four remaining home games at the Portland Expo in the Regular Season. Delaware (6-11) comes to Maine after losing four straight games in series with Wisconsin and Osceola. Most recently, Delaware lost to the Osceola Magic 115-98 despite seven players scored in double figures. Jaylen Martin led the team in scoring with 15 points. An affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers, the Blue Coats' Two-Way Players are Jeff Dowtin Jr., Justin Edwards, and Pete Nance. Dowtin Jr. was the only Two-Way Player available for Tuesday's loss against Osceola. The Blue Coats enter Thursday's game in 14th place in the Eastern Conference.

Maine is 1-1 against the Blue Coats this season, with both meetings being played on the road in Delaware. The Celtics win came in the second game of the Tip-Off Tournament on November 11, and featured one of Maine's most efficient games on offense all season. In that 130-111 win, Maine scored the most points, dished out the most assists, and had the most made field goals in any game this season. JD Davison had a monster game with 30 points and a season-high 16 assists. The Celtics and Blue Coats met again on November 30, with Delaware taking that game 118-110. Davison's 34 points and 8 assists in that game weren't enough to deliver a win for Maine. Delaware was led by 30 points from Dowtin Jr. and 24 points by Darius Bazley.

The Celtics are 7-1 this season when they score 120 points or more, and are also 7-1 when they hold their opponent under 100 points. Rebounding has also been a key factor for Maine, with the Celtics going 8-2 in games where they have outrebounded their opponent. Getting out to a strong start has been important as well this season, with Maine going 11-3 in games in which they've held the lead at halftime.

Maine is among the league leaders of the G League in multiple statistical categories. The Celtics are fourth in three-point shots made per game (14.5) and sixth in attempts (41.9). Boston Celtics assignee Baylor Scheierman is first in three-point field goals made, knocking down 58 of 142 (40.8%) shots from deep in 14 regular season games. All season long, Maine has been one of the top teams in the league in turnovers. On average, the Celtics turn the ball over just under 15 times a game, which ranks third. Maine is also sixth in blocks with over six per contest.

Delaware's Isaiah Mobley ranks seventh in the G League during the Regular Season in defensive rebounding with over seven per game and is ninth in total rebounds with 10 per contest. Delaware is one of the top free throw shooting teams in the G League. The Blue Coats rank first in free throws attempted per game (16.4) and second in makes (12.2). Both teams rank top-3 in the G League in turnovers, with both Maine and Delaware averaging less than 15 per game.

WHERE TO WATCH: The Maine Celtics will tip-off against Delaware at a special time of 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Portland Expo. Maine will celebrate Black History Month during the game. Fans can watch the game live on ESPN+ and NBC Sports Boston.