Davison's Record-Breaking Night Spoiled By Knicks

PORTLAND, Maine. - JD Davison became the all-time leading scorer in Maine Celtics' franchise history on a night spoiled in a 127-100 defeat at the hands of the Westchester Knicks.

With 6:56 to play in the first quarter, Davison buried a three-pointer to tie Chris Wright's career scoring record of 1,591 points. Minutes later with 3:13 on the clock, the third-year Celtic was fouled as he attacked the basket. Davison calmly knocked down the shot from the charity stripe to make it 1,593 career points, setting a new all-time mark for the franchise. But after scoring 30 points or more in the first two games to start the season, Davison was held mostly in check by the Knicks defense as Davison would finish with 11 points, seven assists and three rebounds.

Baylor Scheierman led Maine in scoring with a team-high 15 points on 6-15 shooting from the field. Five Celtics scored in double figures, including Drew Peterson, who made his Maine Celtics 2024-25 season debut with 11 points and seven rebounds. Maine struggled to put the ball in the basked on Friday night, shooting just 37.5% from the field and 21.7% from three (10-46).

Seven Westchester players scored in double figures as the Knicks dominated nearly all phases of the game on Friday night. The Knicks outscored Maine in points in the point 60-48 while also connecting on 48.3% of their shots from beyond the arc. Alex O'Connell led Westchester with 23 points to go with six rebounds. Chuma Okeke scored 20 points and grabbed eight boards, while Moses Brown recorded a double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds. Maine never held a lead and the Knicks led by as many as 51 points during one point of the game.

While Davison made franchise history with seven first quarter points, the opening frame favored the Knicks. Westchester scored 40 points in the opening frame, shooting 59.% from the field as a team. Knicks two-way player Boo Buie led the way with 15 first quarter points on 5-6 shooting while Maine struggled from deep, only connecting on three of their 15 shots from beyond the arc. The Celtics also turned the ball over six times for 10 Knicks points as Maine started the second quarter trailing 40-21.

Westchester continued its hot shooting in the second quarter as the Knicks scored at a record-setting pace. The Knicks shot 66.7% as a team from deep, including a three-pointer by Donovan Williams with 6:28 to go in the first half that increased the Knicks' lead to 28 points. The lead would increase to as many as 38 as the Knicks shot 64% from the field as a team and buried 10 of their 15 three-pointers. Scheierman led all Maine scorers with 13 first-half points, but the Knicks also dominated around the cup. Westchester outscored Maine 42-18 in points in the paint and led the Celtics 84-46 at the break. 84 points is a Maine franchise record for points allowed by an opponent in a half.

Maine's uphill battle continued in the third quarter, as both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket. Timely turnovers forced by the Celtics weren't translating to the points Maine needed to put a dent in the Knicks lead. Hason Ward provided a spark off the bench defensively, blocking two shots in back-to-back possessions midway through the third quarter. Ward has blocked 13 shots through the first three games of the season. While Westchester's shooting percentage fell below 60% for the first time in the game, Damion Baugh put the finishing touches on the quarter with a strong take to the basket plus the foul as Westchester carried a 108-60 advantage through three quarters, their largest lead of the game.

The fourth quarter provided Maine Head Coach Tyler Lashbrook a chance to experiment with some different rotations on the court. Jay Scrubb showed Celtics fans what he's capable of, catching fire in the fourth quarter with back-to-back three-pointers. Scrubb scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Kavion Pippen, Eric Gaines, London Johnson, and Tristan Enaruna all earned their most minutes of the season to this point. Enaruna caught the attention of Celtics fans with a posterizing dunk in the final minute of the game and recorded nine points in 16 minutes played. Maine scored 40 points in the fourth quarter alone, outscoring the Knicks by 21. It was a promising sight for Lashbrook and the Celtics as they look to turn the page to Sunday's matchup with Westchester.

Maine will return to the Expo on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. for another date with Westchester in the NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament. The game will broadcast live on NBC Sports Boston and NBAGLeague.com.

Friday and Sunday's games are part of the NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament. Teams are placed into four regions and will play 14 games exclusively against each other. Maine is in the East Region alongside Capital City, College Park, Delaware, Greensboro, Long Island, Raptors 905, and Westchester. The teams with the best winning percentage in each region, along with the next four teams with the best winning percentage regardless of their region will advance to compete for the Championship at the NBA G League Winter Showcase.