Game Preview - Maine vs. Long Island Nov. 17, 2023

Game Details: 

Matchup: Maine Celtics (0-2) vs. Long Island Nets (3-0) 

Location: Portland Expo; Portland, Maine 

Tip-off: 7:00 PM EST 

Streaming: NBA G League TV on Tubi 

Following a season-opening road trip to Washington, D.C. and White Plains, New York, the Maine Celtics are back at the Portland Expo tonight for the team’s home opener against the Long Island Nets. 

Tonight marks Maine’s first appearance on Tubi since the streaming service entered a broadcasting partnership with the G League. To watch tonight’s game, simply go to TubiTV.com and navigate the “Live TV” menu to find the new “FAST Channel” that’s available on Tubi Game Days, titled “NBA G League TV.” 

The Nets are off to a 3-0 start to the season with a win over Raptors 905 and a pair of victories over the Greensboro Swarm. Led by Two-Way players Armoni Brooks, Keon Johnson and Jalen Wilson, the Nets are one of seven teams that remain undefeated just one week into the G League Showcase. 

Breaking down the Nets: 

Through three games, Wilson is Long Island’s leading scorer at 21 points per game with Brooks following behind at 17 per contest. Wilson boasts an impressive shooting split for a rookie, hitting 47/46/86 from the field, three and the free throw line while averaging eight rebounds. Brooks posted 20 points on 10-20 shooting in Long Island’s most recent win. 

Kennedy Chandler, who appeared in 36 games on a Two-Way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies last season, starts at point guard with seasoned G League vet Keifer Sykes backing him up. Second-year G Leaguers Kyler Edwards, Jordan Hall and Kameron Hankerson help fill out first-year head coach Mfon Udofia’s rotation. 

Like the Celtics, the Nets roster is laden with youth, but Long Island does feature a hefty dose of NBA experience as well. Brooks, Chandler, Hall, Johnson, and Kaiser Gates have all played in NBA games since the 2022-23 season began, and rookie first-round picks Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead have each played multiple games with Long Island on assignment. The Nets have eight players in either their first or second professional season – even still, there’s a combined 233 games worth of NBA experience on the roster. 

Long Island’s calling cards have been defense and ball movement during the undefeated start. Through three games, the Nets are fourth in defensive rating and sixth in assist percentage – a fundamentally sound statistical profile and style of play, indicative of the team’s on-court success so far. 

A couple of former Maine players in Gates and Scottie Lindsey will make a return to the Expo this weekend. Lindsey averaged 11.5 points and 3.7 rebounds in 42 games with the Celtics last season, while Gates was a member of the 2019-20 Maine Red Claws. Neither Lindsey nor Gates have made their season debut yet, though – Lindsey has been dealing with an injury, and Gates was recently acquired after being waived from a Two-Way deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. 

Three keys to the game: 

Efficiency from downtown: So far, the Celtics have been a high-volume 3-point shooting team – Maine sits eighth in 3-point makes per game and fifth in attempts, but efficiency hasn’t caught up yet. Raising the team’s 33.3% mark from distance will make Maine’s top-10 offense even more potent. 

Rotation, rotation: Staying connected, communication and giving consistent effort is essential for quality defense at any level, especially in the physical, fast-paced G League. Fighting through screens, switching with purpose, and making timely rotations on defense quickly will raise the Celtics’ defensive rating. 

Get the crowd involved: Maine fans are back at the Expo for the first time since last season’s playoff game. If the Celtics can come out of the gates strong and get the Expo going, Long Island will have another obstacle to work through in their first road game of the season – the crowd.