Game Preview - Maine vs. Motor City - Feb. 8, 2024
By Maine Celtics Staff /February 8, 2024
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Game details:
Matchup: Maine Celtics (9-8) vs. Motor City Cruise (9-8)
Location: Portland Expo; Portland, Maine
Tipoff: 7:00 PM EST
Streaming: NBC Sports Boston, ESPN+
The Maine Celtics are back at the Expo for a three-game homestand, beginning tonight with the front end of a two-game set versus the Motor City Cruise, the G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons.
This weekend marks the only meetings of the season between the Celtics and Cruise. Maine swept a back-to-back with Motor City last season, winning by 30 in the first game and claiming a 112-106 win the next night. Mfiondu Kabengele and JD Davison led the team in scoring and assists in each contest, respectively.
Breaking down the Cruise:
We might not see a team all year with a more similar statistical profile to Maine’s than Motor City. The two squads rank seventh (Maine) and 12th (Motor City) in defense, 15th (Maine) and 16th (Motor City) in offense, and even the areas for improvement line up; both teams are bottom-10 in true shooting percentage. Unsurprisingly, teams with striking statistical similarities are neck-and-neck in the East standings; the Celtics are ninth and the Cruise are 10th heading into tonight.
There are currently seven players in the G League averaging at least 19 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists per game; one is JD Davison, and another is Zavier Simpson, who joins Davison in the top-6 of the league-wide assists leaderboard. Simpson, a fourth-year G League point guard known for his patented running hook shot across the lane, leads the Cruise at 20.9 points per game and has shot a blistering 51.8% from three in the regular season.
The Cruise have a couple of long-range marksmen along with Simpson, placing them third in the entire league with a 38.2 team 3-point percentage. Buddy Boeheim, second-year guard out of Syracuse and the son of coach Jim Boeheim, averages 13.8 points and makes 42.1% of his 7.8 threes per game. To the Celtics’ benefit, rookie forward Tosan Evbuoman is at 15.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest while shooting 39.4% from deep but will not be with the team as he’s been called up on a 10-Day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Two-Way players Jared Rhoden and Stanley Umude are leading contributors on the wing for Motor City with Malcolm Cazalon adding support off the bench, though none of the team’s Two-Ways will be present in Portland this weekend. Former Celtic Nathan Knight is in line for an uptick in minutes, currently posting 9.6 points and 6.6 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game for the Cruise after being acquired in late-December.
Keys to the game:
Shooters shoot: The Celtics second in the league in 3-point volume at 42.3 attempts per game, while Motor City is third in percentage 38.2%. Both teams average at least 13.5 3-pointers made per game. Fans at the Expo might be in store for a shootout tonight, but to Maine’s advantage, three of Motor City’s best shooters are unavailable.
Welcome back, Jordan Walsh: After being recalled to Boston ahead of last Sunday’s game at the Osceola Magic and spending the week with the big club, Walsh is back up with Maine. The rookie scored his first NBA points – fittingly, an aggressive dunk on the break – against Memphis on Monday night. The man is riding high into the Expo tonight