Celtics Bounce Back With Blowout of Delaware

PORTLAND, ME – The Maine Celtics bounced back from a tough loss less than 24 hours ago, cruising past the Blue Coats, 135-109 in the team’s highest-scoring game of the season. 

Two-Way guard JD Davison led Maine (6-5) with 27 points, three rebounds and 10 assists, his fourth double-double of the season. Jordan Walsh recorded the first 20-point, 10-rebound game of his pro career and notched three assists. Two-Way forward Nathan Knight notched 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Jordan Schakel had 17 points and seven rebounds and DJ Steward tallied 15 points, nine assists and two blocks. James Banks III logged 12 points and seven rebounds. 

Two-Way guard Ricky Council IV put up 28 points and eight rebounds to lead Delaware (6-4). Two-Way guard Javonte Smart turned in 17 and five rebounds while Chris Clarke added 14 points and 12 rebounds. Melvin Frazier Jr. had 14 points and six rebounds and Two-Way guard Terquavion Smith scored 13 points. 

After going 0-3 on the first possession of the game, Schakel broke the ice with a catch-and-shoot triple in transition on the next trip. The Celtics got out to a hot start for the second night in a row, starting 6-11 from the field as Maine built a 15-10 lead by the seven-minute mark of the first. Early struggles finishing at the rim for Maine were cleaned up quickly, and Davison set the pace of the game with six points and four assists in the opening frame. Maine capped off the quarter with a highlight-reel behind-the-back assist from Davison to Walsh for a thunderous dunk and took a 32-21 lead into the second. 

Kelley came off the bench and promptly got in the box score, finishing off a lob from Davison before Walsh scored a quick five to keep Maine rolling. Davison got downhill at will all night, helping counteract Maine’s shooting regression from deep – the Celtics started 3-6 from downtown but shot 2-13 the rest of the half. Maine went up by as many as 16 points before a 10-0 run from Delaware ate into the lead late in the quarter. A contested three from Smart and a late foul on Council made it 62-53 at the half in favor of the Celtics. 

Maine kept the pressure on to open the half in what became an up-and-down game for a few minutes before the pace settled. Steward rose up for an emphatic block that led into a transition three for Schakel, a huge momentum swing for Maine after the Blue Coats pulled within 10, putting the Celtics in the same spot as yesterday; up double-digits late in the third. Only this time out, they fired back in response – Maine scored on five-straight possessions to stretch the lead back to 15. Davison drew contact on a drive and sank the 1-for-2 with less than three seconds to go in the third, giving Maine a 96-79 advantage heading into the final frame. 

Davison picked up in the fourth exactly where he left off, nailing a pair of threes in the first minute – his comfort and efficiency scoring at all levels of the court today powered the Celtics’ offense. A rim-rocking jam from Tony Snell, his first dunk of the season, caused an eruption on Maine’s bench and triggered a timeout from Delaware. With under eight minutes to play, the Celtics led 108-88. The reserves checked in and maintained the pace and energy set by the starters, helping Maine cruise to a bounce-back win over the Blue Coats. 

The Celtics are back in action on Sunday, Dec. 10 at home against Raptors 905, before a back-to-back with the College Park Skyhawks on Dec. 15 and 16 rounds out the Showcase schedule.