Game Preview - Maine at College Park - March 28, 2024

Game details:                         

Matchup: Maine Celtics (20-12) at College Park Skyhawks (15-17)   

Location: Gateway Center Arena; College Park, Ga.   

Tipoff: 7:00 PM EST  

Streaming: ESPN+ 

What’s magic number for the Maine Celtics to clinch a first-round bye and a home playoff game at the Portland Expo, a curious Celtics fan might ask? One. 

If the Celtics come out on top against the College Park Skyhawks this evening (or against Texas on March 30), Maine will clinch a top-two seed in the Eastern Conference, which gives them a bye in the first round of the playoffs along with a home game in the second round. Every team wants to be in control of their own destiny come playoff time, and with nine wins in the last 10 games, the Celtics are in full control as the regular season winds to a close. 

Breaking down the Skyhawks: 

Both teams had a well-distributed offensive attack last time out. Miles Norris scored an efficient 21 points on nine field goal attempts to lead six Skyhawks in double-figures. Apart from Norris, though, College Park struggled to score efficiently. They shot just 38% as a team, including only 12-45 (26.7%) from 3-point range as Maine’s fifth-ranked defense put the clamps on for the first three quarters. The Skyhawks managed just a single 30-point quarter when they outscored Maine 30-28 in the final frame, while allowing the Celtics to put up a 44-point second quarter that effectively decided the game. 

The Celtics got a big performance from Jaden Springer last time out. The third-year guard turned in 26 points (11-18 shooting) and six rebounds in his Maine debut while accentuating the lock-down defensive style the Celtics play at both the G League and NBA levels. Springer is an experienced G Leaguer with plenty of NBA seasoning on top of that – any assignment he receives between now and the conclusion of the season is a boon for Maine. 

Keys to the game: 

Paint patrol: With Chris Silva sidelined for College Park on Tuesday, Maine controlled the interior on both ends of the floor. The Celtics blocked five shots as a team (Neemias Queta had three), outscored the Skyhawks 62-28 in the paint, and won the rebounding battle. Even if Silva is healthy tonight, the Celtics should have the upper hand in the frontcourt again. 

Let it fly, Weezy: Since joining the Celtics last month, Joe Wieskamp has been on an absolute heater. The Iowa-born sharpshooter has made a 3-pointer in 10 of his 11 games with Maine, and the last contest with College Park was his third game with five or more made threes. Overall, he’s shooting a blistering 43.5% on 6.3 3-point attempts per game with the Celtics. Safe to say Wieskamp has the green light whenever he’s open.