Celtics Dominate Swarm in 49-point blowout

PORTLAND, ME – The Maine Celtics led by as many as 52 points and tied the franchise record for margin of victory in a 49-point drubbing of the Greensboro Swarm, 136-87. 

Maine’s franchise record for margin of victory is 49 points, first set against the Delaware Blue Coats on Nov. 20 and tied again tonight. Luka Šamanić added to his G League leading double-double total, now standing at 13. 

Maine (10-6) was led by Šamanić’s 24 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Denzel Valentine posted 21 points, seven rebounds and eight assists and Marial Shayok finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Former Red Claw Trey Davis dropped 19 points in 18 minutes off the bench in his return to Maine. Kamar Baldwin notched 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. Two-Way player Mfiondu Kabengele posted 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks and fellow Two-Way player JD Davison added 10 points, seven boards and seven assists. Marvin Smith Jr. scored 10 points. 

Kobi Simmons led Greensboro (6-10) with 21 points, five rebounds and 10 assists. Ty-Shon Alexander had 20 points and four assists. LiAngelo Ball and Xavier Sneed put up 10 points apiece. Isaiah Whaley logged eight points and seven rebounds. 

Kabengele’s putback off an offensive rebound got the night started for Maine, who came out of the gates firing on all cylinders and never looked back in the wire-to-wire victory. The Celtics opened the game on an 11-2 run powered by their dynamic frontcourt, extending the lead to 16-4 before Greensboro called timeout. Maine got tons of easy looks all night, utilizing a significant size advantage with the Swarm’s big men sidelined with injury to create mismatches in the halfcourt and overwhelm Greensboro with length and quickness. Maine’s lead stretched to 30-7 as they shot a blistering 64.7 percent from the field while the Swarm sat at 23.1 percent. Šamanić tallied 17 points in the opening frame, helping the Celtics to a 43-17 lead. 

Greensboro went three and a half minutes without a bucket to open the second, and Shayok’s three pushed the Celtics lead beyond 30 points as the Swarm scrambled to hold on. Maine led 59-25 halfway through the quarter, racking up fastbreak points and scoring effortlessly on offense. Valentine was affecting the game in all facets, tallying 7/5/5/ in the first half as Davis heated up in a hurry with 11 points in nine first-half minutes in his return to the Expo. At the half, the Celtics led 72-38. 

Simmons hit a rolling Whaley on his way to the rim for a quick two as the second half began. Šamanić snared three offensive boards on one possession early in the third, quickly bringing himself up to 17 points and seven rebounds. The Celtics defense maintained pressure despite the big lead and they continued to shoot well from deep, sitting at 13-32 from three-point land midway through the quarter. After three, Maine held a 36-point advantage, 97-61. 

In a fourth quarter in which Maine led by as much as 52 points, the Celtics saw Davison, Smith and Reggie Kissoonlal record highlight plays that kept the Expo crowd in the game as it wound to a close. The blowout victory added to Maine’s point differential, a crucial element to qualifying for the G League Showcase Cup Tournament in Las Vegas next week. Kissoonlal’s big block put the exclamation point on the Celtics’ record-tying 136-87 victory. 

The Maine Celtics finish off the Showcase Cup schedule with a record of 10-6. Maine’s next game will be announced when G League Showcase schedule is released over the weekend.