Celtics Open Regular Season With Win

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Maine Celtics had six players score in double-figures as they held off a late charge from the Oklahoma City Blue to open the regular season with a 117-111 win. 

Drew Peterson led Maine (1-0) with 20 points, a career-high 10 rebounds and five assists. JD Davison turned in 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for his eighth double-double of the season. Jordan Schakel made five 3-pointers and scored 18 points. Jordan Walsh put up 14 points, nine rebounds and three steals on assignment from Boston and Kylor Kelley tallied 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Brandon Slater added 10 points. 

Lindy Waters III scored a game-high 26 points, adding six rebounds and four assists for Oklahoma City (0-1). Keyontae Johnson logged 19 points and three steals and Hunter Maldonado had 18 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Jahmi’us Ramsey recorded 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists and Ousmane Dieng had 13 points and three assists on assignment from the Thunder. Olivier Sarr registered 12 points and 11 rebounds. 

Maine jumped out to a 5-0 lead to get the G League regular season off and running before Waters scored a quick five of his own to even things out for the Blue. Peterson set the pace all night for Maine, putting up 10 points early on as both teams shot efficiently out of the gates. After Oklahoma City took the lead briefly, the Celtics got back ahead late in the quarter off a triple from Davison and a 1-for-2 from Walsh in the last 33 seconds of the first. Maine took a 31-27 advantage into the second. 

Following a back-and-forth start to the quarter, an Oklahoma City turnover led to a windmill dunk for Walsh in the open court. The largest first-half lead for either team was Maine’s seven-point advantage; neither side was able to create much separation in the early-going. Johnson hit an over-the-shoulder push shot to put the Blue back in front, 44-43, before a 10-2 run featuring Edwards’ first points as a Celtic and a contorting layup from Kelley gave Maine a 56-49 lead. Peterson kept it rolling in the second as well, finishing the half with 14 points and eight rebounds on 7-11 shooting. The Celtics took a 66-62 lead into the locker room off the back of 18 second-chance points in the first half. 

An 11-6 run to open the third quarter handed Oklahoma City the lead before a tough mid-paint leaner from Peterson and a four-point play from Schakel put Maine back on top by five. The Celtics held serve for the rest of the frame from there, leading by a handful for much of the third behind efficient offense from Peterson, Davison, and Kelley. The Blue claimed a slight edge in the third, outscoring Maine 25-23 and holding the Celtics to 36% shooting, but the Celtics still led heading into the fourth, 89-87. 

Maine got off to a good start in the final frame, opening on a 10-3 run to widen the gap. The Blue fired back with a 10-0 run to get right back into it, with a Maldonado three off a backcourt turnover from the Celtics giving Oklahoma City the lead once again. Edwards sank the third 3-pointer of his Celtics debut and Slater threw it down off a steal, quickly putting Maine back in front, and this time, it was for good. The Blue made multiple late pushes with Waters leading the way, and its defense held Maine scoreless from the 4:22 mark until Schakel snuck past the defense and laid in the game-sealing bucket with 8.6 seconds remaining. Maine got the stops they needed – only allowing five points during its scoreless stretch – as they held on for a season-opening win at Paycom Arena. 

The Celtics and Blue finish off a two-game set in Oklahoma City on Friday, Dec. 29 at 8:00 PM EST. Maine hosts the Grand Rapids Gold for a New Year’s Eve matinee at the Expo on Dec. 31.