Maine Celtics have 'more to prove' in playoffs

PORTLAND, Maine. - Maine begins their postseason run on Tuesday when the seventh-seeded Celtics travel to take on the second-seeded Greensboro Swarm.

It's been and up and down season for the Celtics, characterized by player development and with it, player availability. Wendell Moore Jr. and Tosan Evbuomwan earned NBA Call-Ups (Evbuomwan with the Charlotte Hornets), Amari Williams and Max Shulga saw their Two-Way contracts converted to standard deals, and Ron Harper Jr. became a fixture of the Boston Celtics' rotation. Still, Maine managed to qualify for the postseason for the fourth consecutive season.

"Being able to clinch it, especially with the season we went through," Maine Celtics Head Coach Phil Pressey said. "The ups and downs, the travel, the delays, roster changes, players going back and forth. My staff was phenomenal being able to adjust and figure it out on the fly; it's a great feeling. We had multiple guys step up throughout the year to get us where we are."

While Harper Jr. is expected to stick in Boston, Williams and Shulga have played three consecutive games with Maine, who seems to have all their guys available and healthy at the right time.

"Availability is everything, especially in the postseason," said Celtics guard Kameron Warrens. "The best ability is availability, so from top to bottom we got guys that can produce, can defend and be versatile and I think that can take us far in the playoffs."

In addition to Shulga and Williams re-entering the fold, Keon Johnson has looked like himself again in his return from injury. Johnson is one of several Maine players who bring G League Playoff experience to the table. Six Celtics have taken part in the single elimination format, with a combined 13 postseason games played. Hason Ward and Kameron Warrens were each part of Maine's team that made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, and they bring that experience to the locker room ahead of this playoff push.

"Staying together and do what we do as a team. Follow through and execute the game plan. Try to be consistent with it during the playoffs," Ward explained he thinks is the most important thing this time of year.

Pressey and his staff have brought that winning culture from Boston to Maine all season long, and that message rings even stronger now with a title on the line. While player development has been at the forefront, now is the time for these Celtics to have a chance to compete for hardware.

"Maine Celtics are known for being a playoff team so it's a standard to make it back there and get our chance to reach the Finals," Ward said. "We fell short last year and now we're the underdogs this year just trying to take it one game at a time."

The Celtics began the playoffs last season as the #3 seed, starting their postseason run at home at the Portland Expo. This time around Maine had to catch fire at the end of the regular season to clinch a playoff berth, and will be on the road during the single elimination tournament until a potential appearance in a best-of-three G League Finals. As Coach Pressey always says, "the most important game is the next game." That couldn't be more true ahead of the Celtics' date with Greensboro.

"We have more of a chip on our shoulder," Warrens said. "We are a lower seed, we have more to prove and I think we will carry that with us into the playoffs."

Tuesday's first round playoff game between the Celtics and Swarm will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. and will broadcast live on Samsung TV Plus.