Maine has 'unfinished business' as Celtics prepare for Magic

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Every game in the G League Playoffs leading up to the Finals is win or go home. That means as soon as Maine beat Westchester in the second round on Thursday night, the Celtics quickly had to turn their attention to their next opponent, the Osceola Magic.

Maine's players and coaching staff are now headed down to Florida to prepare for their Eastern Conference Finals date with the East's top seed on Sunday night. This is the second consecutive season that Maine will be competing for an Eastern Conference championship. Osceola beat the Indiana Mad Ants on Thursday 129-114 to advance to the third round of the playoffs.

"It's about getting to the championship and taking it a game at a time. Winning is important in this organization for everybody. You got to lock in every game, no matter who you play," said Celtics Two-Way player Miles Norris.

The Celtics beat the Westchester Knicks 124-118 on Thursday night behind a monster 32-point, 17-assist double-double by the NBA G League MVP JD Davison. Maine made 20 three-pointers for the second consecutive game, tying the franchise playoff record for triples in a game they previously set on Tuesday against Capital City. The win snapped a seven-game winning streak for the Westchester Knicks and was a little bit of revenge for Maine after losing their Regular Season finale in Westchester just one week prior.

Boston Celtics assignment player Jordan Walsh played his second consecutive postseason game with Maine. Walsh's 19-point, 11-rebound double-double was pivotal in Maine's victory and afterwards, Walsh spoke about why it's important for him to help Maine return to the NBA G League Finals.

"It's as important to me as the Boston Celtics. Both of us have a goal of winning something," said Walsh. "So, for me having unfinished business from last year and coming here to beat a team that beat me when I was here last year, felt good to get them back. It felt personal for everybody, and I came in here and brought my energy."

With Boston Celtics games weaved into the Maine Celtics' playoff schedule, Walsh said he appreciates the opportunity to suit up for Maine again in their pursuit of a title.

"I feel like this was my home first, so it feels like me just coming back home," he said.

For the second consecutive playoff game, Maine got out to a hot start and led the Knicks by as many as 19. But you hear it all the time, basketball is a game of runs, and no lead is ever safe in the NBA G League. Midway through the third quarter, Westchester tied the game up at 76. Just a week after Maine blew a large lead to the very same team in the same gym, Knicks' fans started to believe the same could happen on Thursday. This time the Celtics would have an answer, coming up with clutch play after clutch play down the stretch to secure the victory.

"We've been in a bunch of different types of games throughout the year," Maine Celtics Head Coach Tyler Lashbrook explained. "I think over the course of the season we've built the mindset of sticking to the process of what's gotten us there, what is going to get us there and the guys bought into that."

"Everybody stayed composed, everybody made plays, rebounded. Everybody was locked in, and everyone competed to pull out the win," Davison said.

The third-year point guard's growth has been lauded all season long by his coaches and teammates in both Boston and Maine. That was on display on Thursday, as Davison overcame a slow start to score 20 points in the second half and command the Celtics to the win. In two postseason games, Davison is averaging 35.0 points and 14.5 assists per game on 56.0% shooting from the floor. Davison' has scored or assisted on 142 of Maine's 239 points in the playoffs.

"I started off slow in the first half. Once I hit a three, I think I felt more comfortable, and the team believed in me with the ball in my hands and I had to carry it out... They believe in me, and I believe in them."

Miles Norris scored a new season-high in a Celtics uniform with 27 points on 9-12 shooting. Jordan Schakel helped set the tone on both ends of the floor, finishing with 15 points on 5-10 shooting from three while also forcing multiple turnovers on the defensive side of the ball. After missing out on the postseason a year ago with a season-ending injury, Schakel is rising to the occasion when it matters the most.

"Schack is such a culture setter for us," Lashbrook said. "His toughness, his energy, his resilience. He missed a lot of last year with injury and he had to battle his way back early in the year and it's all been building for this moment. We knew he'd be ready for this moment, and I love the energy and intensity he brings, and he sets the tone."

That brings the Celtics to another familiar foe and another team that recently bested Maine is dramatic fashion. Maine has faced the Magic twice this season and lost to Osceola both times. The first game came on January 26th, when the Celtics came up short in overtime, 108-105 at the Portland Expo. Maine bounced back from that loss by tying the franchise record with an eight-game winning streak. The most recent matchup was on March 20th when the two teams combined to score 273 points in another home loss to Osceola.

"It's always been a battle against those guys. They do a really good job as an organization and as a coaching staff with their players being well prepared," said Lashbrook. "We're excited, it will be a challenge. To me, it's been the two best teams over the last back half of the stretch so it will be a fun game to match up."

With a trip to the NBA G League Finals on the line, the last two Kia NBA G League MVPs will go head-to-head in Mac McClung and Davison. After giving up 50 first quarter points and 140 total for the game, Davison said the Celtics will have to tighten up their defense on Sunday.

"We got to guard. They play a lot of small ball, so we got to go out there, guard and compete," he said. "Mac is probably the quickest guy I've ever guarded so I got to try to stay in front of him, put my hands on him a little bit."

Thursday's game proved that the Regular Season doesn't matter anymore. Previous losses are irrelevant. It's your best vs. my best.

"It's a different type of game now. We're in the playoffs," Davison said. "I'm not worried about the game we lost, I'm worried about the game ahead of me now."

Maine will battle Osceola at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 6th. The game will broadcast live on ESPNU.