Celtics Look to Bounce Back Against Delaware Blue Coats

WILMINGTON, Dela. - The Maine Celtics will look to bounce back in Delaware on Monday night after suffering a tight loss to the Long Island Nets in Friday night’s season opener.  

Maine (0-1) and Delaware (0-1) are both searching for the first wins in the 2024 NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament. The Blue Coats lost in dramatic fashion to Raptors 905 on Saturday after Tyreke Key buried a game-winning three-pointer with just 0.2 seconds remaining in the game.

The Celtics came back from a 19-point deficit to the Nets on Friday behind historic efforts by JD Davison and Baylor Scheierman before coming up short in Long Island 123-129. Davison and Scheierman combined for 64 points, marking the eighth time in franchise history that two Maine players scored 30 or more points in the same game.  

SCHEIERMAN SHINES: Scheierman’s debut for Maine on Friday was historic. His 33 points are the third most points in a debut in franchise history (The G League added two points to Scheierman's total after the game ended to account for two missed points from the free throw line). The 30^th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft also dished out seven assists and seven rebounds. Fellow rookie and two-way player Anton Watson finished with seven points, five rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal as he battled foul trouble.  

CHASING HISTORY: After his near 31-point, triple-double effort on Friday night, JD Davison is 36 points away from becoming Maine’s all-time leader in scoring. Davison is already Maine’s record holder in career assists.  

BLOCK PARTY: Hason Ward showed what he brings to the table on defense, racking up seven blocks in 25.5 minutes to go with eight points and seven rebounds. 

SHARPSHOOTER: Making an impact for Maine in the team’s season opener was Ron Harper Jr., who showed what he’s capable of from beyond the arc. All 13 of Harper Jr.’s shots in Long Island were from distance, with the third-year guard connecting on six of them to combine for 18 points in the game.  

SCOUTING REPORT: Maine will have to slow down two-way player Justin Edwards, who filled the stat sheet in the Blue Coats’ debut with 28 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Marcus Bagley provided support for Delaware with a 10-point, 14-rebound double-double in Saturday’s defeat. Patrick McCaw was second on the team in scoring with 18 points in just 27 minutes. McCaw also was a nuisance on defense, logging four steals in the game against Raptors 905.  

The Blue Coats will get some reinforcements ahead of Monday’s matchup with Maine. Two-way player Lester Quinones will join Delaware. Quinones spent the last two seasons as a two-way player for Golden State and Santa Cruz, averaging 4.4 points in 37 NBA appearances and 23.6 points per game in 15 appearances in the G League in 2023-24. Adem Bona has also been assigned by the Philadelpha 76ers to Delaware ahead of Monday’s game. Bona was drafted with the 41^st overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft out of UCLA.  

The game will start at 7:00 p.m. ET on Monday at Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware. Fans can stream the game live at nbagleague.com. Maine returns home for the Celtics’ home opener on November 15 against the Westchester Knicks.