WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The Maine Celtics superior to the G-League’s Jap 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 way of 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 because of JD Davison, who exploded for 14 factors within the last 4 minutes of the interval.
JD Davison catches fireplace within the third quarter to guide 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 couple of steals.
After struggling early on, Davison scored 14 factors in a pivotal last 4 minutes of the third quarter and hit two clutch baskets within the last minutes to place the sport out of attain, a floater and a pull-up three with just below two minutes to go.
“I type 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 mentioned. “As soon as I hit a 3, I believe I felt extra assured. The workforce 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 workforce.
“You noticed it tonight,” Lashbrook mentioned. “We had just a little wrestle in opposition to the two-three [defense] for just a little bit, after which JD is available in, settles us down, will get us the place we have to be, after which makes the proper play from there. I mentioned 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 means to place guys in the proper spots and having the reply for each downside that we see.”
Lashbrook mirrored on the prospect to let Davison know he gained the MVP award on Tuesday evening.
“It was actually particular,” mentioned 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 daily, on each side of the ball, and he’s taking an actual management function in our workforce.
Miles Norris, who was on the Memphis Hustle earlier this season, mirrored on the problem of guarding Davison.
“It’s rather a lot higher being on the workforce with him now,” Norris mentioned. “I didn’t like taking part in in opposition to JD.”
Jordan Walsh shared how Davison asserts himself as a pacesetter on the workforce, 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 all people on the identical web page, which is admittedly necessary,” Walsh mentioned, pointing to a second the place he let his feelings get one of the best of him and Davison obtained 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, desirous 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 recreation with 19 factors on 8-16 capturing, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists — and is having fun with getting the prospect to compete for a G League title.
“It’s as necessary because the Boston Celtics occurring their playoff run — each of us have a aim of being someplace, successful one thing,” Walsh mentioned.
Walsh was a member of the Maine Celtics workforce that misplaced within the Finals final season and mentioned he feels he has “unfinished enterprise” from that loss.
“The very first thing I informed him was we wanted him to rebound — and he obtained 11 of them, and so love that,” Lashbrook mentioned.
Walsh mirrored on his progress from his rookie 12 months with Maine to now.
“I’m higher, for certain,” Walsh mentioned. “I really feel like I perceive my play type and the way I match into programs higher. I really feel just like the buy-in can be higher. The workforce is completely different, so looking for a method to discover my function with this workforce, whether or not it’s scoring, rebounding, getting stops, or no matter it’s, attempting to make that occur. However on the finish of the day, no matter it’s to win is crucial factor, so no matter that second requires, that’s how I’m going to attempt to step up and do.”
Miles Norris has his greatest recreation as a Celtic
Miles Norris signed a two-way cope with the Celtics final month after spending many 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 recreation 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’ type of play,” Norris mentioned. “However I performed sufficient video games, practiced sufficient with the workforce — I really feel actually snug on the market. And loads of guys assist me out as nicely — taking part in with JD, [he’s] an ideal chief, nice level guard. So, fairly simple on the market.”
Norris made essential performs on each ends within the last 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 harm about that,” he mentioned, including: “Profitable is a giant factor on this group.”
Lashbrook has been impressed with Norris’s progress over the previous month.
“He’s simply proven a excessive degree of shot making and athletic means,” he mentioned. “He’s actually purchased into what we wish from him on the defensive finish.”
Jordan Shakel gives activate 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 recreation.
“Shak is such a tradition middle for us when it comes to his toughness and his power and his resilience,” Lashbrook mentioned.
Shakel suffered a season-ending knee harm final 12 months however has turn out to be an integral a part of the Maine rotation this season.
“Early within the 12 months, he needed to kind of battle his means again and get into form and get his rhythm,” Lashbrook mentioned. “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 backwards and forwards from the Celtics to the G League
Jordan Walsh, JD Davison, and Drew Peterson have been all at TD Backyard on Wednesday evening for the Celtics’ common season recreation in opposition to the Miami Warmth, logging 5 minutes every.
Then, the trio travelled to White Plains to satisfy up with the remainder of the workforce for Wednesday’s playoff recreation.
“I‘m type of used to it,” Davison mentioned of the two-way grind. “We did it final 12 months, so we knew what was forward for us. I believe all people was simply locked in yesterday.”
Lashbrook mentioned there was by no means a doubt about whether or not Walsh, Davison, and Peterson would return in time for the G League playoff recreation.
“They have been going to play this recreation it doesn’t matter what,” Lashbrook mentioned. “And that simply type of speaks to their resilience, and their grit and the best way that they’re wired, and the best way that they’re constructed, and the way a lot they care about this workforce and that the blokes in that locker room.”
Walsh doesn’t thoughts lacking a while in Boston to be with the workforce.
“I really feel like that is my house first,” he mentioned. “So I really feel like that is simply me coming again.”
A Westchester participant signed with the Cavaliers in the course of the sport
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported — within the third quarter of Thursday’s recreation — that Westchester Knicks ahead Chuma Ekeke agreed to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ last roster spot. Ekeke had already performed 18 minutes, recording 8 factors, 3 assists, and three rebounds, however didn’t verify again into the sport the remainder of the best way.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and former first-round decide Chuma Okeke have agreed to a deal, filling the East leaders’ last 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 final result, nevertheless it served as a quintessential G League second that noticed a high participant in a playoff recreation change groups mid-game.
Subsequent up: Jap Convention finals vs Mac McClung and the Oceola Magic
The Celtics will subsequent face the Osceola Magic, the highest seed within the Jap Convention. The workforce 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 mentioned. “It’s gonna be a battle. That workforce 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 greatest groups over this final again half of the stretch, and so it’ll be enjoyable recreation for us to match up.”
The Magic are led by Mac McClung, who gained G League MVP final 12 months and dropped 39 factors and 6 assists on Thursday evening.
“Mac might be the quickest man I’ve ever guarded,” Davison mentioned. “So I simply attempt to keep in entrance of him, tough him up just a little bit, he’s smaller than me — attempt to put my palms on him just a little bit.”
