Late surge lifts Celtics to 2-0

PORTLAND, Maine - The Celtics outscored Westchester 20-6 over the final five minutes Sunday afternoon to come from behind in a 98-93 win over the Knicks. 

Maine sweeps the season-opening two-game series with Westchester to begin the 2026-27 NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament 2-0; the Knicks drop to 0-2. 

Tucker Devries led Maine with 19 points behind five threes and 7-10 shooting from the floor. Milos Uzan put in a team-high nine points in the fourth quarter to finish with 15 and a game-high +23, while Amari Williams scored eight of his 17 points in the fourth-quarter comeback. Hayden Gray added 16, and Dillon Mitchell finished with 15. Maine shot 53.7% (36-67) from the field in the win and 37.5% (9-24) from three.

Igor Miličić scored a team-best 17 points for Westchester in a losing effort while Jaden Akins and Dink Pate both poured in 16. The Knicks finished at 38.8% (33-85) shooting on the afternoon and 26.1% (12-46) from beyond the arc.

Maine picked up right where it left off on Friday. After a Mitchell bucket to open the scoring, back-to-back DeVries threes jumped the Celtics up 8-0 two minutes in. Westchester began 0-7 from beyond the arc, but with 4:28 left in the first, Miličić connected on the Knicks' second triple of the afternoon to tie the game, 15-15. That shot from deep was part of a 26-9 run to close the first quarter, capped off by a Paul Zilinskas three at the buzzer to put the Knicks on top 30-24 after one. 

After a Toby Okani three upped the Westchester lead to nine to open up the second, a 7-0 Maine run, highlighted by another DeVries triple, cut the deficit to 35-33 with 9:06 left in the half. With 5:18 to go in the second, a Devin Carter steal and basket brought the Celtics within one, 41-40. But the Knicks held off the C’s the rest of the quarter and did not relinquish the first-half lead. In the final minute, a David Dixon bucket put Westchester up 52-46, the score at the break. Miličić paced the Knicks with 10 first-half points. Westchester shot 46.7% (21-45) from the floor and 26.1% (6-23) from three in the half. DeVries was the lone Celtic in double figures at the break with 11 points on 3-4 shooting from beyond the arc. As a team, Maine shot 51.4% (18-35) from the field in the half and 41.7% (5-12) from distance. 

To start the second half, Westchester climbed back in front by nine. With 6:10 to go in the third, a Miličić basket put the Knicks up 66-57. The Celtics sparked a run from there. After a Gray three, a Chris Cenac Jr. block led to another Gray triple followed by a Carter finish at the rim to close the gap to 66-65 with 4:31 left in the quarter. The Knicks responded with a run of their own. Six straight points put Westchester back up seven, 72-65, with 2:13 remaining in the third. Maine cut the deficit back to four, but a Pate three in the final minute put Westchester up 75-68 after three quarters. 

Maine scored eight of the first ten points to start the fourth quarter. With 8:39 to go, a DeVries score in the paint made it a one-point game again, 77-76. Westchester continued to hold the lead. A 10-2 run in response, capped by a Mitchell Mascari three, pushed the Knicks’ advantage back to 87-78 with 5:00 left. The Celtics refused to go away. With 2:42 to play in the fourth, a DeVries three extended a Maine run to 10-0, giving the C’s an 88-87 lead, their first lead since the first quarter. With 42 seconds left, an Uzan score grew the spurt to 16-1 and put the Celtics up 94-88. Akins drilled a three for the Knicks, then after a Gray free throw, hit a pair of his own to bring Westchester within two at 95-93, with 10 seconds remaining. But back on offense, Uzan hit a pair of free throws for the Celtics before Gray added another to put the game away in a 98-93 win. 

Up next, Maine hits the road for a two-game series at Delaware beginning Friday, November 13, at 7 p.m. The Celtics return to the Expo Friday, November 20, for a 7 p.m. start to a two-game set with Capital City.