Celtics Strike Gold 96-91

PORTLAND, Maine - Grand Rapids trimmed a 20-point fourth quarter deficit down to four, but Maine hung on Friday night in a 96-91 win behind six different scorers in double figures. 

The win improves Maine to 15-16 in the regular season and earns the Celtics a split of the season series against the Gold. Grand Rapids drops to 9-22 with its fourth straight loss. 

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. 

DaRon Holmes II scored a game-high 36 points in a losing effort for Grand Rapids, including 29 in the second half. Curtis Jones posted 16 points, Javonte McCoy collected 11 and Dane Goodwin scored 10 for the Gold. Coleman Hawkins finished with a double-double with 15 rebounds and 11 assists despite scoring just five points. Grand Rapids shot 42% (34-81) from the field and 35.9% from distinct in the defeat. 

Maine scored the first five points of the night to jump out to an early 5-0 lead. The Gold responded right away. With 6:16 to go in the first quarter, a Jones three finished off a 12-2 Grand Rapids answer and put the Gold on top 12-7, forcing a Maine timeout. Out of the timeout, the C’s came back with a run of their own. Back-to-back Morgan threes propelled Maine to an 8-0 spurt and back on top 15-12 with 3:51 to go in the quarter. But Grand Rapids closed the quarter strong, outscoring the C’s 8-4 across the final 3:22 of the first to take a 20-19 lead after one. 

To begin the second, the Celtics jumped back in front. After a Kendall Brown three-point play, Johnson followed up with a three-point play of his own put Maine ahead 29-25 with 6:49 to go in the first half. In a quarter that continued to go back-and-fourth another Maine three-point play, this one from Tonje, put the Celtics up 39-35 with 2:50 to go in the half. Coming off a 42-point performance last time out, Tonje led Maine with nine first-half points in a half that featured no scorers in double figures for either side. With 34 seconds to go in the second, a Gray three capped off the opening half and put Maine up 44-39 at the break. The Celtics shot 42.5% (17-40) from the field in the half and 27.8% (5-18) from three. Goodwin and Jones paced Grand Rapids with eight points each at the half for a Gold team that shot 37.8% (14-37) from the floor and 33.3% (6-18) from beyond the arc. 

After a first half where neither team led by more than five points, Maine took an eight-point edge to begin the third. A Brown bucket with 7:57 to play in the quarter put the Celtics up 52-44 and caused a Grand Rapids timeout. The C’s grew that lead to 18, 70-52, on a Johnson three with 32 seconds left in the third, and Maine led 70-54 after three. The Celtics defense held the Gold to just 15 points on 31.6% (6-19) shooting in the third and outscored Grand Rapids 22-10 across the final 8:17 of the quarter. 

Grand Rapids scored the first two baskets of the fourth to cut the Maine lead down to 70-58. The Celtics responded with an 8-0 run and after a Bridges bucket the C’s led by a game-high 20 points, 78-58, with 9:04 to play. But the Gold refused to go away. Threes on three straight possessions, two from Holmes, then one from McCoy, cut the Celtics lead to 10 at 80-70 with 7:20 left. Holmes scored 29 of his 36 in the second half, including 22 in the fourth quarter. The Gold continued to trim the deficit. With 4:40 to go, a Holmes free throw brought Grand Rapids within six at 85-79, and 38 seconds later, another one made it 85-81. The Celtics made sure the Gold did not get closer. After losing a 22-point lead to Grand Rapids in January, Maine closed the game, making six free throws down the stretch to grab the 96-91 win. 

Up next, Maine hits the road for a three-game road trip beginning with two in Birmingham, starting Monday, March 16. The Celtics return home Sunday, March 22, at 12 p.m. to begin the final home series of the season against the Cleveland Charge.