Celtics Run Out Of Gas In Osceola

KISSIMMEE, FL – The Maine Celtics had a three-game win streak snapped at the hands of the Osceola Magic, falling 112-89. 

Kylor Kelley led Maine (9-8) with 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Drew Peterson totaled 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Brandon Slater had 11 points. JD Davison logged 10 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Jordan Bowden added 10 points. 

D.J. Wilson scored 30 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished seven assists to lead Osceola (8-7). Kevon Harris added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Jett Howard contributed 17 points and five rebounds. Mac McClung recorded 12 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Chris Walker posted 12 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. 

Harris splashed home a three to open the scoring, and Kelley got the Celtics on the board with a 1-for-2 soon after. The big man’s free throw began a streak of six unanswered for Maine, though the Magic would chip away and take a 7-6 lead into the first timeout break after a cold start shooting for both sides. The Magic run would build to 14-4, giving them a seven-point lead late in the first as the Celtics’ shooting woes continued with a 4-18 start from the field. DJ Steward and Rob Edwards converted on consecutive possessions to jumpstart Maine after a timeout, though Osceola scored six-straight featuring a pair of driving layups from Alex Morales to take a 26-16 lead into the second quarter. Maine shot just 29.2% with zero three-point makes in the first. 

Osceola extended the run to 14-0 as the second got underway, getting to the rim at will and forcing Maine into turnovers at the other end. Davison dished to Kelley for a dunk that ended a three minute and 46 second dry spell spanning the late first and early second, then it wasn’t long before Slater attacked a closeout and finished at the rim to trim the deficit to a dozen, 38-26. A 1-for-2 from Davison made it a 10-point game, 50-40, and then the Celtics put together a 7-0 run to get within three. Peterson buried a transition three in the closing seconds to cut the Osceola lead at the half to just two, 52-50. The Celtics outscored the Magic 34-26 in the quarter. 

Having lost Steward to injury and Davison to ejection in the latter half of the second quarter, the Celtics began the third with Don Carey Jr. and Jordan Bowden defending the point of attack with Peterson operating as a point forward. The Magic scored nine-straight to kick off the half, getting the lead back up to a dozen, 62-50. Bowden woke up the Celtics offense with a left wing three, Tony Snell followed with a three of his own, and Maine was back within single digits just inside the seven-minute mark. The Celtics hung around for the remainder of the third, unable to make a sizeable run but preventing Osceola from running away with it. Howard raced down court for a layup just ahead of the horn to give the Magic a nine-point lead, 75-66 with 12 minutes to play. 

The Magic lead stayed at nine in the first few minutes of the fourth before a trey from Howard pushed it to a dozen once more, 82-70. Trey Maddox sank back-to-back threes and Wilson threw one down, starting an Osceola run that steadily put the game away. The Magic were up 90-74 with 6:46 to play, and with Harris’ third triple of the afternoon, the lead ballooned to 20 points. Osceola coasted to victory from there, snapping a three-game losing streak. 

The Celtics have three days off before a two-game set with the Motor City Cruise, beginning on Thursday, Feb. 8 and finishing up on Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Portland Expo.