Balanced Scoring Carries Maine To Sweep

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO – The Maine Celtics earned their third straight victory by beating Raptors 905, 126-117 to sweep the two-game series north of the border. 

Luka Šamanić led Maine (11-7) with 29 points and eight rebounds, shooting 10-16 from the floor and 5-9 from deep. Two-Way guard JD Davison put up 23 points and nine assists and Marial Shayok logged 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Scottie Lindsey added 13 points and five rebounds. Kamar Baldwin and Marvin Smith Jr. each scored 11 points, with Smith grabbing eight rebounds. Maine made 100% of its free throws (14-14), a feat achieved for the fifth time this season.

Two-Way wing Ron Harper Jr. finished with 28 points and six rebounds for the 905 (8-7). Toronto assignee Dalano Banton posted 21 points and Reggie Perry added 20. Two-Way guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. chipped in 10 points and five rebounds and David Johnson logged 10 points. 

Baldwin banked in a floater just inside the right elbow for the first bucket of the game. It was all Šamanić in the first quarter; he dropped in nine of Maine’s first 13 points, starting 4-4 from the field to give the Celtics an early lead. Maine was in front, 18-10 at the first timeout following a three from Shayok. The 905 went on a short 5-2 run at the end of the first to get within a dozen, but a 10-11 mark from the floor as a team powered Maine to a 40-31 lead after one. 

The Celtics forced a couple turnovers to get the 905 out of rhythm early in the second as Šamanić continued to pile up the points, getting to 19 on 7-9 shooting by the time Maine went up double-digits midway through the quarter. After shooting 59.1 percent from the field in the first half, the Celtics rolled to a 71-56 lead by the break. The Celtics made seven three-pointers as a team across the first two quarters. 

Maine held the Raptors scoreless for the first two minutes of the third quarter as they continued to control the pace. An and-one from Lindsey and a corner triple from Reggie Kissoonlal gave the Celtics a spark in the third as the 905 offense picked up a bit with Banton leading the charge. Šamanić was up to 21 points and seven rebounds by the end of the third, at which point Maine held a 102-88 advantage. 

The Celtics went up by as much as 15 points at the outset of the fourth quarter, 105-90, but a 12-2 run from the Raptors brought them back within striking distance with just under seven minutes remaining. After a quiet third, Šamanić heated back up when it counted most, nailing a pair of clutch triples to stretch Maine’s lead back out and quiet the Mississauga crowd. Shayok and Tony Snell took care of business at the free throw line as the game wound down, securing a two-game series sweep with a 126-117 victory for Maine. 

The Celtics are back in action on Feb. 10 and 11 for a back-to-back with the Cleveland Charge in Portland.