Game Preview - Maine vs. Greensboro - March 17, 2024

Game details:                      

Matchup: Maine Celtics (17-12) vs. Greensboro Swarm (14-15)  

Location: Portland Expo; Portland, Maine  

Tipoff: 2:00 PM EST                      

Streaming: NBC Sports Boston, NBA TV 

It’s only right that the Celtics organization competes on St. Patrick’s Day. The Maine Celtics kick off the festivities with a Sunday matinee at the Expo, and then Boston rounds things out with a 6:00 PM matchup against the Washington Wizards tonight – both games will be streamed live on NBC Sports Boston. 

From now until the beginning of the playoffs, the Maine Celtics are playing their “biggest game of the season” every time they step on the court. Today’s matchup with the Greensboro Swarm represents a prime opportunity to gain some ground in the standings as the Celtics sit just a half-game behind third-place Indiana, which Maine owns the tiebreaker against. If the Celtics win today, they’ll only be a half-game behind the second-place Blue Coats and in position to earn a first-round bye with just four games to go. But handling business today is the first step. 

Breaking down the Swarm: 

Last Thursday’s game was quite an anomaly for the Celtics; on top of the tight travel schedule following a game in Delaware just 24 hours prior, Joe Wieskamp was a late scratch from the lineup. Playing a man down with the gas tank nearly on “empty” to begin with put Maine in a tough spot to close things out. 

After Maine led 46-40 at halftime, the Swarm put together a strong third quarter, outscoring Maine 28-17 to take a five-point lead into the final frame. Neemias Queta cut it to three, 68-65 with a dunk at the 11 minute and 46 second mark, and that was as close as the Celtics got the rest of the night. The Swarm ended the game on a 30-11 run to snap Maine’s six-game win streak. 

A big reason Maine was unable to chip away at the deficit and stop Greensboro’s late run; an uncharacteristically cold night from beyond the arc. The Celtics have the league’s #11 offense, bolstered by its high 3-point rate and efficiency – Maine ranks eighth with 13.9 made 3-pointers per game, shooting 34.7% on those looks. Last time out, the Celtics shot just 6-32 (18.8%) from deep, with only two makes in the second half. The Celtics are usually the aggressor on the glass as well, but Greensboro outrebounded them 54-38 and Maine only collected seven offensive rebounds. Flipping those two stat categories around would shrink that 22-point gap from last game down to almost nothing in today’s game. 

Keys to the game: 

Let DJ roll: DJ Steward has now scored 20 points in seven-straight games, the longest such streak of his career. The third-year guard is averaging a league-leading 27.7 points along with 6.4 rebounds, shooting a blistering 53.6% from the field and 40.3% from deep. The saying “ride the hot hand” has rarely been more applicable. 

Bounce back game: The Celtics have had a couple days to rest and recuperate after seeing a six-game win streak snapped in a 22-point loss. It’s time to get back on track and secure as many wins as possible before the playoffs arrive.