Maine returns to action in Delaware

WILMINGTON, Del. - The Maine Celtics return to action on Thursday against the Delaware Blue Coats after spending some time off during the NBA All-Star Break.

Maine (11-12) will look to snap a four-game losing streak against the Blue Coats, who are 10-9 during the regular season. Thursday's contest will stream live on ESPN+. The Celtics will battle the Blue Coats again on February 21 at 6 p.m.

The Celtics previously played Delaware during the Tip-Off Tournament, winning both games vs. Delaware on November 21 and 23. Ron Harper scored a career-high 46 points in Maine’s 113-111 win over Delaware on Nov. 21. The 46-point performance is the fifth-most points scored in a single game in franchise history. The Two-Way Player also added a career-high eight assists to go with seven rebounds, while shooting 7-14 from beyond the arc. Harper also scored the game-winning basket with :01 remaining.

Maine hasn't played since February 12, when the Celtics came up short to the Motor City Cruise 123-108 in a game that saw all five starters score in double figures. John Tonje led the way with a game-high 29 points, including 18 in the second half. Max Shulga had 19 points behind 4-5 shooting from three. Jalen Bridges with 16, Hason Ward 14 and Aaron Scott 10 rounded out the C’s starting five.

Tonje was acquired on February 6 by the Boston Celtics in a trade with the Utah Jazz in exchange for forward Chris Boucher, a future second-round pick, and cash considerations. Tonje has averaged 25.0 points on 42.5% shooting, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 steals in two appearances for the Maine Celtics.

Delaware boasts one of the most prolific offenses in the G League during the regular season. The Blue Coats are averaging over 118 points per game, good for ninth among 31 teams. They're second in made field goals per game (44.8) and second in attempts (95.7), and the Blue Coats are fourth in assists per game (27.9). A good chunk of those field goal attempts come from second chance opportunities created by Delaware's rebounding. During the regular season, Delaware leads the G League in offensive rebounds, averaging 16.4 per game. The Blue Coats are first in overall rebounding with 49.1 per contest.

76ers Two-Way player MarJon Beauchamp leads the Blue Coats in scoring at 23.9 PPG in 16 regular season contests. 35th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Pick Johni Broome has played 16 games on assignment to Delaware, where he has filled the stat sheet with 22.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 3.8 AST, and 1.3 BLK.