Celtics set for showdown with Raptors 905

PORTLAND, Maine. - The Maine Celtics conclude the NBA G League Tip-Off Tournament schedule in a showdown with unbeaten Raptors 905 on Sunday.

Sunday's game will tip-off at 1 p.m. at the Portland Expo. The game will broadcast live on NBC Sports Boston and stream live on NBAGLeague.com.

Maine (9-4) is fighting to become one of the top eight teams to advance to the Tip-Off Tournament at the NBA G League Winter Showcase in Orlando, Florida. That tournament will take place from December 19-22, with the winner claiming a $100,000 prize and the Showcase Cup. Raptors 905 is a historic 12-0 in Tip-Off play and has already clinched their spot at the Winter Showcase. Greensboro is currently second in the East division with a 9-4 record and Maine is third. The Swarm beat Maine twice in the first two games of the Tip-Off Tournament.

Raptors 905 is the first team to start the Tip-Off Tournament with 12 consecutive wins. They previously beat Maine at home 111-75 in the final game of a three-game road trip for the Celtics. Raptors 905 never trailed the Celtics and led by as many as 40 in that first matchup. Maine was without Two-Way players Amari Williams and Ron Harper Jr. in that game.

A lot has changed since that first matchup up north. Maine responded by winning a franchise record nine consecutive games, with the Celtics going 6-0 during that span at the Portland Expo. The record winning streak came to an end on Friday at the hands of Capital City, 111-77 in another game played without Williams or Harper available. Stefan Todorovic led Maine with 16 points off the bench. Kendall Brown scored 13 points on 6-12 shooting and Max Shulga provided 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Hason Ward finished with nine points and four blocks for Maine. The Celtics shot just 38.7% (29-75) from the floor and 22.9% (8-35) from three. 

Sunday's game features two of the top defensive teams in the NBA G League. Raptors 905 is first in defensive efficiency (101.1) and Maine is third (105.3). Defensive efficiency estimates how many points an opponent scores per 100 possessions. 905 leads the G League in net rating (16.6) and Maine is eighth (5.7) Both teams average over 10 steals per game, and both rank in the top-10 in points in the paint scored by their opponent. Maine is first in transition defense through 13 games, holding their opponents to just 9.5 points per game from fast breaks. That will be key against a 905 team that is third in fast break points, and first in points off turnovers (28.8 per game).

Maine and Raptors 905 also boast two of the G League's top scorers. Ron Harper continues to pace the league in scoring at 26.9 PPG on 49.7% shooting from the floor, including 40.2% from distance. Six Celtics are averaging double-digit scoring, with Max Shulga, Keon Johnson, and Kendall Brown all averaging at least 14 PPG.

905's A.J. Lawson is eighth in scoring at 24.2 points per game on 47.6% shooting. Lawson, along with Chucky Hepburn and Alijah Martin are 905's Two-Way players. Martin is averaging 19.2 PPG and Hepburn is averaging 11.9 PPG and 8.4 APG. 905's roster is also bolstered by Jonathan Mogbo, who 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game on 62.4% shooting while assignment for 11 games by the Toronto Raptors.

The G League has started the season with a Tip-Off Tournament since 2021, and this season will be the third Winter Showcase taking place in Orlando, Florida. The Westchester Knicks have won the last two Showcase Cups. A win on Sunday over one of the G League's best teams would help Maine's chances of being one of the top eight teams to advance for a chance at a trophy and the $100,000 prize.