WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The Maine Celtics superior to the G-League’s Japanese Convention Finals with a 122-113 playoff win in opposition to the Westchester Knicks.
Maine led by double-digits early on, however the Knicks made a second-half push to tie the sport at 76 halfway by the third quarter.
Then, the Celtics closed out the third quarter on a 27-10 run to take a 17-point lead getting into the fourth quarter, largely due to JD Davison, who exploded for 14 factors within the remaining 4 minutes of the interval.
JD Davison catches hearth within the third quarter to steer the Celtics
Only a day after he was awarded G League MVP, JD Davison put collectively one other masterful efficiency: 32 factors, 17 assists, 4 rebounds, and a pair of steals.
After struggling early on, Davison scored 14 factors in a pivotal remaining 4 minutes of the third quarter and hit two clutch baskets within the remaining minutes to place the sport out of attain, a floater and a pull-up three with slightly below two minutes to go.
“I form of began off gradual right now, particularly in that first half — I missed a pair floaters, I don’t suppose I hit a 3,” Davison stated. “As soon as I hit a 3, I feel I felt extra assured. The staff believes in me with the ball in my hand, so I simply needed to carry the load.”
For Maine Celtics head coach Tyler Lashbrook, Thursday’s efficiency was simply one other instance of Davison’s prowess on the head of the snake for the staff.
“You noticed it tonight,” Lashbrook stated. “We had a bit of wrestle in opposition to the two-three [defense] for a bit of bit, after which JD is available in, settles us down, will get us the place we should be, after which makes the best play from there. I stated it within the locker room simply now, however that’s why he’s the MVP. It’s not simply the numbers, it’s the management, its skill to place guys in the best spots and having the reply for each drawback that we see.”
Lashbrook mirrored on the possibility to let Davison know he received the MVP award on Tuesday night time.
“It was actually particular,” stated the first-year head coach. “It was a particular second for him. He’s been working a very long time to get thus far, and he’s taken an actual dedication to himself to get higher every single day, on each side of the ball, and he’s taking an actual management function in our staff.
Miles Norris, who was on the Memphis Hustle earlier this season, mirrored on the problem of guarding Davison.
“It’s quite a bit higher being on the staff with him now,” Norris stated. “I didn’t like taking part in in opposition to JD.”
Jordan Walsh shared how Davison asserts himself as a pacesetter on the staff, regardless of his quiet nature.
“I really feel like lots of people additionally underestimate the truth that he’s commanding the ground and telling guys the place to go, telling them what to do, getting everyone on the identical web page, which is de facto necessary,” Walsh stated, pointing to a second the place he let his feelings get the very best of him and Davison acquired issues so as.
“After I pushed that man on the free throw line, he was like, ‘Get off the free throw line and go stand again there.’ And I used to be like, ‘All proper, cool.’
Jordan Walsh as soon as once more joins Maine, wanting to win a championship
Jordan Walsh has spent the whole season with the Boston Celtics, however has been a key a part of the Maine Celtics’ playoff run. He completed Thursday’s sport with 19 factors on 6-19 capturing, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists — and is having fun with getting the possibility to compete for a G League title.
“It’s as necessary because the Boston Celtics occurring their playoff run — each of us have a objective of being someplace, successful one thing,” Walsh stated.
Walsh was a member of the Maine Celtics staff that misplaced within the Finals final season and stated he feels he has “unfinished enterprise” from that loss.
“The very first thing I informed him was we would have liked him to rebound — and he acquired 11 of them, and so love that,” Lashbrook stated.
Walsh mirrored on his development from his rookie 12 months with Maine to now.
“I’m higher, for certain,” Walsh stated. “I really feel like I perceive my play fashion and the way I match into methods higher. I really feel just like the buy-in can be better. The staff is totally different, so looking for a option to discover my function with this staff, whether or not it’s scoring, rebounding, getting stops, or no matter it’s, making an attempt to make that occur. However on the finish of the day, no matter it’s to win is an important factor, so no matter that second requires, that’s how I’m going to attempt to step up and do.”
Miles Norris has his finest sport as a Celtic
Miles Norris signed a two-way take care of the Celtics final month after spending a lot of the season with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlie’s G League affiliate. Norris took a while to regulate to Maine’s terminology and schemes however had his highest-scoring sport with the Maine Celtics when it mattered most, posting 27 factors on 9-12 capturing, together with 4-7 from three.
“The primary couple weeks, I used to be simply getting the texture for the blokes’ fashion of play,” Norris stated. “However I performed sufficient video games, practiced sufficient with the staff — I really feel actually snug on the market. And a variety of guys assist me out as effectively — taking part in with JD, [he’s] a fantastic chief, nice level guard. So, fairly simple on the market.”
Norris made essential performs on each ends within the remaining minutes — sprinting out to contest a Knicks’ nook three after which subsequently working the ground for an and-one dunk to place the sport out of attain.
Norris was on the School Park Skyhawks final 12 months, and didn’t make the G League playoffs. He’s excited by the prospect of successful a G League championship.
“Not making the playoffs final 12 months — I used to be fairly damage about that,” he stated, including: “Successful is an enormous factor on this group.”
Lashbrook has been impressed with Norris’s development over the previous month.
“He’s simply proven a excessive degree of shot making and athletic skill,” he stated. “He’s actually purchased into what we would like from him on the defensive finish.”
Jordan Shakel supplies prompt the bench
Shakel, a second-year Maine Celtics participant, scored 15 factors and made 5 of 10 three-point makes an attempt in Friday’s sport.
“Shak is such a tradition heart for us when it comes to his toughness and his power and his resilience,” Lashbrook stated.
Shakel suffered a season-ending knee damage final 12 months however has grow to be an integral a part of the Maine rotation this season.
“Early within the 12 months, he needed to type of battle his manner again and get into form and get his rhythm,” Lashbrook stated. “It’s all been constructed and sorted for this second. So, we’ve identified that he was going to be prepared for this. However I simply love the power that he brings and the depth that he brings. And actually, he units the tone.”
Shuttling forwards and backwards from the Celtics to the G League
Jordan Walsh, JD Davison, and Drew Peterson have been all at TD Backyard on Wednesday night time for the Celtics’ common season sport in opposition to the Miami Warmth, logging 5 minutes every.
Then, the trio travelled to White Plains to fulfill up with the remainder of the staff for Wednesday’s playoff sport.
“I‘m form of used to it,” Davison stated of the two-way grind. “We did it final 12 months, so we knew what was forward for us. I feel everyone was simply locked in yesterday.”
Lashbrook stated there was by no means a doubt about whether or not Walsh, Davison, and Peterson would return in time for the G League playoff sport.
“They have been going to play this sport it doesn’t matter what,” Lashbrook stated. “And that simply form of speaks to their resilience, and their grit and the way in which that they’re wired, and the way in which that they’re constructed, and the way a lot they care about this staff and that the blokes in that locker room.”
Walsh doesn’t thoughts lacking a while in Boston to be with the staff.
“I really feel like that is my residence first,” he stated. “So I really feel like that is simply me coming again.”
A Westchester participant signed with the Cavaliers in the midst of the sport
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported — within the third quarter of Thursday’s sport — that Westchester Knicks ahead Chuma Ekeke agreed to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ remaining roster spot. Ekeke had already performed 18 minutes, recording 8 factors, 3 assists, and three rebounds, however didn’t examine again into the sport the remainder of the way in which.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and former first-round decide Chuma Okeke have agreed to a deal, filling the East leaders’ remaining open roster spot, sources inform ESPN. Okeke averaged 17 factors, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for NBA G League Westchester this season. pic.twitter.com/WuW3DAWLAM
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 4, 2025
The signing didn’t have an excessive amount of of an impression on the sport’s consequence, however it served as a quintessential G League second that noticed a high participant in a playoff sport change groups mid-game.
Subsequent up: Japanese Convention finals vs Mac McClung and the Oceola Magic
The Celtics will subsequent face the Osceola Magic, the highest seed within the Japanese Convention. The staff took a bus from White Plains to the airport on Friday morning and are flying straight to Orlando.
“It’s gonna be a problem,” Lashbrook stated. “It’s gonna be a battle. That staff has been on a roll — about the identical time that we began getting on our run, they went on their very own run. To me, it’s been the 2 finest groups over this final again half of the stretch, and so it’ll be enjoyable sport for us to match up.”
The Magic are led by Mac McClung, who received G League MVP final 12 months and dropped 39 factors and 6 assists on Thursday night time.
“Mac might be the quickest man I’ve ever guarded,” Davison stated. “So I simply attempt to keep in entrance of him, tough him up a bit of bit, he’s smaller than me — attempt to put my arms on him a bit of bit.”
