Celtics' sprint to the finish begins in Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The sprint to the finish line continues for the Maine Celtics as they travel to play the Birmingham Squadron twice on the road.

Maine (15-16) is one of five Eastern Conference teams battling for the final two playoff spots. Entering Monday night's game, the Celtics are currently in playoff position, sitting in eighth place. Maine has qualified for the playoffs in three consecutive seasons.

"The next game is the most important. That's been voiced for the last couple of weeks, taking it one game at a time and sprint through the finish line," said Maine Celtics Head Coach Phill Pressey. "Right now, a lot of teams in the NBA and G League, you can see the finish line, you can see your last game, you can see where you'll be in a week or two. You can see it. Being able to spring through the finish line is the most important thing for us. Don't worry about what's tomorrow and just take care of what's today."

The next game features the 12-19 Squadron, the NBA G League affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans. This is the first meeting between the Celtics and Squadron this season. The Celtics have won three out of their last four games, most recently beating the Grand Rapids Gold 96-91 at the Portland Expo on Friday night. Hayden Gray led a diverse Maine offensive attack with 18 points on 7-11 shooting. Keon Johnson scored 17 points in his 24 minutes off the bench. Hason Ward posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. John Tonje and Jalen Bridges both poured in 16 points, while Hank Morgan finished with 10 to round out the six different C’s in double figures. Maine shot 46.2% (36-78) from the floor in the win and 29.4% (10-34) from three. 

The Celtics have been forced to constantly adapt this season. Two of the team's Two-Way players have signed standard contracts with Boston after Max Shulga agreed to terms with the big club on Sunday. Fellow 2025 second round draft pick Amari Williams earned a standard deal with the Celtics in early February. Ron Harper Jr. has become a regular in Boston's rotation in the last month, and the Celtics acquired John Tonje on a Two-Way deal, who recently dropped a career-high 42 points in Osceola. Safe to say while the NBA guys have been developing in a big way for Boston, it's forced Maine to constantly adapt and find new ways to stay connected.

"Our team is still learning each other. John (Tonje) is a newer player; Hank Morgan is newer; Ebenezer (Dowuona) is newer, and Keon (Johnson) is trying to work himself back into the rotation," Pressey explained. "Those guys are trying to find their groove, especially Keon. He does a fantastic job with his ball pressure and had four steals tonight. Ultimately, we have to stay together. I think that's the most important thing for us moving forward in these last five games is staying together." 

The Squadron last played on March 11 and like the Celtics, are also coming off a win over the Gold. Birmingham was led by Two-Way players Trey Alexander and Hunter Dickinson in the victory. Alexander had a double-double with 31 points and a season-high 13 assists, while Dickinson recorded his second double-double of the season with 15 points and 15 boards. Maine center Hason Ward will be tasked with slowing down Dickinson on Monday and Tuesday. Ward has stepped up in his second season with the Celtics in the absence of Amari Williams and has two double-doubles in his last three games.

"It's a big-time job especially for a long time he was our only big man, holding the fort down," Pressey said. "Hason has been phenomenal and has grown so much this year. His game continues to develop and for him he has to figure out how to keep getting better. Protecting the rim is something he can do at a high level."

The Maine Celtics square off with the Birmingham Squadron at 8 p.m. on Monday night. The game will broadcast live on NBAGLeague.com. Both teams will meet again at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.