Rally Falls Short at Westchester

WHITE PLAINS, NY – Trailing by as many as 29 points, the Maine Celtics whittled an 18-point halftime deficit down to as little as eight late in the fourth quarter, but the Westchester Knicks held on to earn the win, 125-107. 

Two-Way guard JD Davison led Maine (0-2) with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. DJ Steward added 18 points and seven assists while Boston assignee Jordan Walsh had 13 points, four boards, and two steals. Two-Way forward Nathan Knight posted 12 points and five rebounds. Jaiden Delaire and Jordan Schakel scored nine points apiece. 

Two-Way guard Duane Washington Jr. scored a game-high 33 points to go with five rebounds and 10 assists for Westchester (2-0). Two-Way guard Charlie Brown Jr. chipped in 19 points and four rebounds. Brandon Goodwin and Two-Way forward Jacob Toppin each tallied 15 points and Mamadi Diakite logged 14 points and four rebounds. New York assignee Dylan Windler totaled 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks. 

Walsh laid it in for the first bucket of the game and Steward dropped a pass off to Knight in the dunker spot for another easy one to get started. The Celtics raced out to an early 8-3 lead, but the Knicks fired back with an 11-0 run and didn’t look back, sitting in front by seven points at the first timeout break and building a 15-point lead by the end of the first. Davison scored seven points in the quarter for Maine, though the Celtics were outscored 33-13 after the quick start and trailed 36-21 after one. 

Westchester opened the second on a 9-2 run, locking in completely on defense and causing the Celtics a lot of struggles in creating clean looks at the rim and from distance; the Knicks held Maine to 29.8% shooting and 3-22 from deep as a team in the first half. With Walsh in foul trouble and Knight temporarily knocked out with an injury, Maine’s starting frontcourt was sidelined for much of the opening two quarters as the Knicks’ lead ballooned to as much as 29 points. Westchester found success pressing full court, playing zone and man, creating transition opportunities with malleable defensive strategies. Don Carey Jr. checked in for his pro debut, Brandon Slater provided energy in the form of offensive rebounds and taking charges, and Davison tallied 15 points and seven rebounds in the first half as the Celtics slowly chipped away at the Knicks’ lead.  A couple of fastbreak buckets got Maine within 20, 61-43 and sent them into locker room with some momentum after slow start. 

That momentum built steadily in the third, with the Celtics opening the second half on a 10-4 run. Maine’s energy and effort never subsided as they outscored the Knicks by a small margin early in the quarter, down 14 just ahead of the halfway point. Delaire nailed a 1-for-2 and a corner three, then Steward sank a 1-for-2 of his own to bring Maine within seven, 80-73. Washington hit a couple driving layups to push Westchester’s lead back into double digits, but the Celtics ate away at the deficit again, trailing by just 10 heading into the fourth. Maine outscored the Knicks 33-25 in the third to go into the final frame down 86-76. 

Washington’s fourth three of the night brought him up to 31 points early in the fourth, lengthening Westchester’s lead to 15, 98-83 with just under nine minutes to go. Windler drained a three through contact, completing a four-point play that built the lead to 19 and shifted the momentum back towards the Knicks. Walsh sparked an 11-2 Celtics run as Maine cut it close once again, trailing 107-96 with under five minutes remaining. After he was fouled taking a three, Walsh converted the 1-for-3 free throw to bring the Celtics back within eight in crunch time. Despite their best efforts, Maine was unable to get closer than that in the closing minutes and Westchester coasted to victory. 

The Maine Celtics have wrapped up a two-game road trip to open the season and return to Portland for the home opener at the Expo on Friday, Nov. 17. Tickets are limited and going fast – purchase yours today at MaineCeltics.com.