Game Preview - Maine vs. Westchester - Feb. 25, 2024

Game details:                

Matchup: Maine Celtics (11-11) vs. Westchester Knicks (6-15) 

Location: Portland Expo; Portland, Maine 

Tipoff: 1:00 PM EST                

Streaming: NBC Sports Boston, NBAGLeague.com 

Less than 24 hours after the Boston took down New York at Madison Square Garden, the Celtics and Knicks organizations are back at it, only this matchup takes place up at the Portland Expo. 

Maine and Westchester ‘s first meetings of the season came back in November, when the Celtics dropped their second game of the year to the Knicks and then suffered another defeat in White Plains, N.Y. later that month. Along with tonight, the Celtics host the Knicks for their final regular season home game. If Maine wants to guarantee at least a split of the season series, they’ve got to come out on top today. 

Breaking down the Knicks: 

Coming into today, the Knicks are in last place in the East standings. Carrying the #22 offense and #30 defense, Westchester plays at one of the ten fastest paces in the league while ranking third in turnover percentage, but the league’s third-lowest true shooting percentage tanks its offensive efficiency. They also give up 19 fastbreak points per game (second-most in the league) despite the indication that Westchester limits transition opportunities with its low turnover rate. Teams can leak out in transition and find open space often, leading to quick, easy points. 

Brandon Goodwin is Westchester’s #1 option, both as a scorer and playmaker. Goodwin averages 24.3 points and dishes out 8.4 assists, a top-10 mark in the league, while adding 5.4 rebounds. The fifth-year veteran is a well-rounded point guard with 133 NBA appearances under his belt. 

2024 NBA Dunk Contest contestant Jacob Toppin, along with fellow Two-Way players Charlie Brown Jr. and Duane Washington Jr., will not be with the Knicks for today’s game. To boot, Westchester’s second-leading scorer and best volume 3-point shooter in DaQuan Jefferies is currently on a 10-Day with New York. Obadiah Noel is the highest-scoring player remaining on the roster at 13.4 points per game. The UMass Lowell alum also grabs 4.5 rebounds in his third season as a pro. 

Key to the game: 

Queta is back: Celtics fans are in for a show this afternoon. Jordan Walsh is on assignment, and Two-Way center Neemias Queta will be making an appearance at the Expo as well, giving head coach Blaine Mueller an abundance of lineup configurations to cycle through.