Game Preview - Maine at College Park - March 26, 2024

Game details:                        

Matchup: Maine Celtics (19-12) at College Park Skyhawks (15-16)  

Location: Gateway Center Arena; College Park, Ga.  

Tipoff: 7:00 PM EST 

Streaming: ESPN+  

The home stretch of the regular season is here. Just three games remain on the Maine Celtics schedule: first up, tonight’s contest against the College Park Skyhawks. 

Maine split its two Showcase matchups with the Skyhawks back in mid-December, claiming a 97-89 win on the front end of a back-to-back before falling 99-91 the next night. The four-game season series completes with this week’s two-game set – the Celtics need to win tonight and Thursday to avoid a split (or wose) in the season series with College Park. 

With the playoff race tightening by the day, every game counts tenfold for the Celtics. Currently in second place at 19-12, Maine holds the seeding tiebreakers over third-place Indiana and fourth-place Delaware, but not fifth-place Long Island or the sixth-place Go-Go. Winning tonight and Thursday would all but ensure a top-four playoff seed for Maine and put them in position to grab a first-round bye if Osceola or Indiana slip up during the final week of the season. 

Breaking down the Skyhawks: 

Defense is bound to be a focal point today as two of the league’s top-five defenses square off. College Park’s defense is third while Maine’s is fifth, and both rank inside the top-10 in fewest points allowed in the paint. With long-time NBA veteran Chris Silva manning the middle for the Skyhawks, the Celtics are in for a tough, physical battle on the interior. 

While the Celtics rank third in opponent field goal percentage (44.1%), the Skyhawks aren’t far behind, holding opponents to 44.9% shooting. Those figures rank third and fourth in the league, respectively, and are crucial components to the defensive success of each squad. Maine blocks a league-leading 8.3 shots per game, while College Park is near the bottom of the league in that category. The Celtics could use that disparity to their advantage – turning College Park’s missed shots into quick, easy offensive possessions while limiting their number of transition opportunities could play into Maine’s hands, especially if the Celtics get hot from beyond the arc. 

The Skyhawks enlisted the help of a former Celtic not long ago and have reaped the benefits so far. Jordan Bowden played nine games with Maine upon returning from overseas before he was traded to College Park, where he’s since averaged 16.9 points while shooting a blistering 46.7% from three. Bowden has been the team’s second-leading scorer behind Silva and by far their best volume 3-point shooter in his 13 games with the Skyhawks. 

Keys to the game: 

O-boards: The Celtics have the second-highest offensive rebounding percentage in the G League, while College Park allows the fifth-fewest opponent offensive rebounds per game. Something’s got to give. The Skyhawks have a strong, aggressive center in Silva, but Maine’s centers tower over College Park’s big men. The Celtics will have to utilize that size advantage. 

Reinforcements are on the way: Jaden Springer has been assigned to Maine along with Jordan Walsh for tonight’s game. Springer, a third-year guard out of Tennessee, played in 59 career G League games with the Delaware Blue Coats prior to being traded to Boston last month, and will make his Maine debut this evening. Two-Way center Neemias Queta is also available to play, giving the Celtics an incredible depth of talent for the evening.