Johnson scores 43, but Birmingham beats Maine 144-143

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Keon Johnson scored a career-high 43 points, but the Celtics came up short in the final moments in a 144-143 loss to the Birmingham Squadron on Monday night. 

Trey Alexander's floater with 19 seconds remaining in the game gave the Squadron a one-point lead. Maine had the final shot, butHank Morgan's attempt at the rim was off as the Celtics lost their first of two games in Birmingham. The Celtics slip to 15-17 with the loss and the Squadron improve to 13-19 as just four games remain in the regular season for Maine. 

Birmingham and Maine meet again on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+.

Johnson went 11-18 from the floor and a perfect 12-12 from the free throw line in his 43-point performance to lead the Celtics. 43 points is the tied for the eighth highest scoring game in franchise history. That wasn't the only history made on Monday night as 287 combined points by the Celtics and Squadron is the second highest scoring game in Maine franchise history.

Hason Ward added a career-high 22 points and nine rebounds on 9-10 shooting, and Hayden Gray recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 assists. Jalen Bridges added 19 points on 7-11 shooting and Morgan provided 18 points off the bench. Maine shot 57.8% (48-83) from the floor in the losing effort. 

Alexander led the Squadron with a career-high 42 points and nine assists. It's the third straight game with 30 or more points for the New Orleans Pelicans Two-Way player. The Squadron's Two-Way players accounted for 89 points on Monday, with Josh Oduro adding 26 points and Hunter Dickinson recording a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Birmingham shot 59% (52-88) from the floor and 60.7% (17-28) from three. 

Both teams started the game shooting lights out. Maine made their first seven shots, including a dunk by Hason Ward with 8:10 to go in the first quarter as the Celtics trailed the Squadron by one. With 5:55 to go in the opening quarter, Chase Hunter knocked down a three to put Birmingham in front by six. Johnny O'Neil rattled in a midrange jumper to give the Squadron a ten-point lead, 24-14, with 4:14 to play in the first quarter. Birmingham ranks last in the G League in three-point shooting percentage, but on Monday night the Squadron made 6-9 in the first quarter to take a 35-27 lead over the Celtics. 

Hank Morgan buried a three in the opening minute of the second quarter to pull Maine within six. On the next possession, Morgan's offensive putback pulled the Celtics within four, 38-34. Maine got as close as two, but the Squadron pulled away again as Trey Alexander's made three give Birmingham a 49-41 lead with 6:13 to go in the first half. Alexander connected on another shot from deep to extend the Squadron's lead to 11 with 4:57 remaining. The Squadron Two-Way player led all scorers with 20 points in the first half.  With 2:07 on the clock, John Tonje drove baseline and the Two-Way player's reverse lay-up plus the foul pulled the Celtics back within six, 58-52. Keon Johnson beat the halftime buzzer with a high-arching floater, but Maine trailed Birmingham 68-61.Johnson had 16 first half points to lead the Celtics. Maine shot 61.5% from the floor, but the Celtics had nine turnovers for 13 Squadron Points.

Alexander's strong effort continued to start the second half, flashing through the lane to give Birmingham a 77-67 lead with 8:39 left in the third. Two minutes later, Hunter Dickinson scored plus the foul as the Squadron extended their lead over the Celtics, 85-73. Alexander continued to do damage, and the Squadron star scored around the cup to keep the Celtics at bay, 100-88 with 2:08 left in the third quarter. Maine finished the quarter on an 10-2 run to pull within six, 104-98 to start the fourth quarter. 

Maine cut it to four to start the fourth on a Tonje bucket, but Johnny O'Neil hit back-to-back three-pointers to quickly put the Squadron back up by 10, 112-102 with 10:12 left in the game. With 7:50 to go, Hank Morgan stepped into a triple to cut the lead down to five, 119-114. Then with 5:54 to play, Maine's highflyers Kendall Brown and Keon Johnson dropped back-to-back hammers as Maine still trailed by five, 127-122. Johnson packed in another dunk to pull Maine within three, 131-128 with just over four minutes to play. With 1:52 to go, Morgan's floater pulled the Celtics within one with under two minutes left in the game. Hayden Gray made a pair of free throws with 31.8 seconds left to give Maine their first lead, 141-140, since the 8:10 mark of the first quarter when it was 12-11. On the next possession, Alexander put the Squadron back in front by one with a pair of made free throws with 29 seconds to play. Johnson scored his 42^nd and 43^rd points of the game from the charity stripe to deliver Maine a 143-142 lead with 19 seconds remaining. The dual between Johnson and Alexander continued, and with nine seconds on the clock, Alexander scored over the outstretched arms of Ward to put the Squadron back on top, 144-143. Morgan drove to the basket, and his final shot was off the mark as the Maine Celtics came up short to Birmingham on the final play. 

Maine will face the Squadron again on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.