Maine tops Long Island 116-92 in home opener

PORTLAND, Maine - Max Shulga scored a team-high 22 points and Ron Harper Jr. posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds as six different Celtics scored in double figures to lead Maine past Long Island, 116-92 for its first win of the season.

The Celtics jumped out to an early lead in the first game of the season at the Portland Expo. Kendall Brown opened the scoring, knocking down a three just over 30 seconds into the game. Three of his seven first-quarter points helped guide the Celtics to an early 18-10 lead. Brown finished the night with 15 points on 6-12 shooting to go along with five rebounds. The Nets cut into the Celtics lead in the waning moments of the first quarter. With time winding down in the opening period, Long Island’s Ben Saraf banked in a half-court shot at the buzzer to cut the Celtics' edge to 20-18 at the end of the first 12 minutes.  

After shooting just 30% from the field in the first quarter, the Nets started to gain rhythm on offense in the second. Danny Wolf scored 10 second-quarter points after going scoreless in the opening frame, helping Long Island shoot 54% from the floor in the quarter. Wolf ended the night with a team-best 22 points for the Nets, to go along with nine rebounds. Long Island took their first lead of the game on a Nate Williams bucket with 7:44 to go in the first half to make it 31-30. Maine closed the half outscoring Long Island 20-15 to take a 50-46 lead into the break. Ron Harper Jr. started to find his shot to end the half, scoring nine points in the second quarter.  

The Celtics took over in the third quarter. Leading 61-59 with 7:40 to go in the quarter, Max Shulga spearheaded a 20-7 Maine run, scoring nine points in that stretch, helping to expand the Celtics’ lead to 15 points. With Maine leading 81-66 in the final seconds of the period, Saraf beat the buzzer again, this time a two, made it an 81-68 in favor of the Celtics at the end of the third quarter. Saraf finished with 14 points off the bench for the Nets. 

Up by 13 after three, the Celtics cruised the rest of the way. Maine outscored Long Island 35-24 in the fourth, extending their lead to as many as 26 points enroute to its first win of the season, 116-92 over Long Island. 

Amari Williams chipped in 16 points and eight rebounds in the win, while Jalen Bridges scored 11 as all five Maine starters finished in double-figures. Stefan Todorovic added 11 points off the Celtics' bench to lead all C’s reserves. 

The win is the first of the season for the Celtics and first for head coach and former Maine player Phil Pressey, whose team improves to 1-3 in the NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament. The loss drops Long Island to 1-2. The two sides are back at it in the Portland Expo on Saturday, November 15, for a 7 p.m. start.