PORTLAND, Maine — With playoffs on the line and everything to fight for, the Maine Celtics welcomed the Delaware Blue Coats to town on Sunday night for their final home game of the season. Two-ways JD Davison, the potential league MVP, and Drew Peterson were with the Boston Celtics in the other Portland across the country for a date with the Portland Trail Blazers, leaving Maine to scrap together an offensive game plan.
Delaware led in this game for a long time, but the third quarter saw Maine sprint ahead. And by the fourth, the Blue Coats were the ones playing from behind. The Celtics' defense pushed them forward in the second half, and it turned into a bunch of quality looks on the other side of the floor.
A late push from the Blue Coats was ended by a monster fourth quarter from DJ Rodman, and Miles Norris put things away with a great stretch in the final few minutes. Maine walked away with a huge 117-99 victory.
Here are notes from the game every fan should see.
1. Miles Norris can score
The lone two-way player active for Maine, Norris took it upon himself to boost the team’s offense. He thrived off catch-and-shoot threes and even snuck in a few dunks around the rim off of offensive rebounds.
Boston waived Anton Watson at the beginning of the month so they could bring Norris in, and his three-point stroke immediately stood out as a reason why. That’s exactly what he showed off on Sunday.
2. Tyrell Roberts is annoying
In the same way that Kyle Lowry and Gabe Vincent love to get under opponents' skin, Tyrell Roberts is a major pain. And it’s on both ends of the floor, too.
Roberts got a tough foul call in the first half after playing solid defense on a drive against an opponent much bigger than him, but the process of the possession didn’t match its result.
Maine picked up Roberts from the available player pool on February 22 after spending time with the Santa Cruz Warriors and Rip City Remix (though he never appeared in a game with the Warriors).
Listed at just 5-foot-11 (and that’s a generous assessment), Roberts makes his money by pestering opposing ball-handlers and weaving his way into the teeth of the defense when he has the ball in his hands.
The 25-year-old shined in the third quarter as Maine surged back into the game. He found spots for drives to the rim and managed to contort his body for some impressive finishes. Roberts is someone fans should very much enjoy watching.
3. Third-quarter dunk fest
For fans looking to catch the replay of this game, make sure to check out the third quarter. Maine put on what looked like a miniature Dunk Contest, throwing down alley-oops and transition slams alike.
Everyone from Hason Ward to Phillip Wheeler to Jay Scrubb got in on the action.
4. Tristan Enaruna picked up the slack
It wasn’t in the traditional way, but Tristan Enaruna gave the Celtics a huge boost on offense in this game. He found open shots, grabbed offensive rebounds, and timed his cuts very well. And when he did get the ball, he drove strong and was very effective.
Enaruna hasn’t been the best shooter this season, and his offensive game isn’t built perfectly for the NBA, but he’s finding great ways to make an impact.
His defense was solid, too, notching a couple of stocks for his troubles.
5. Jay Scrubb injury
In the midst of a solid scoring night, Scrubb went down in a heap late in the third quarter. It looked like he landed on another player’s foot, and he was helped off the floor while favoring his ankle.
6. DJ Rodman
Not known as a three-point shooter, Rodman found a few long-range buckets on Sunday night. This guy does a little bit of everything, and the fourth quarter was his show.
He was nailing triples, nabbing steals, and throwing alley-oops (with Wheeler as the recipient).
If he can continue forming a consistent three-point shot, Rodman could have a path to a two-way contract (somewhere around the league) very soon.
7. Phillip Wheeler is fun
A similar build to Enaruna, Wheeler is an athletic forward who loves to find his money around the rim. Highlighted by a monster slam in the third quarter, Wheeler had a solid night on Sunday.
He gave Maine a bunch of buckets at crucial times, utilizing elite athleticism to force his way through the defense. Wheeler even nailed some threes.
8. Defense, defense, defense
A rough defensive first quarter was outmatched by an impressive remainder of the game from Tyler Lashbrook’s Celtics. They locked in, tried a few different looks, and made it a point to force tough shots.
Lashbrook threw a zone look at Delaware for stretches in the second half, and Maine’s ball pressure was great. But perhaps even more impressive is the way they cover for each other.
The Celtics are more than comfortable jumping at pump-fakes and selling out to stop shots because of how well their back line—Ward, James Banks III, and Kavion Pippen—protects the paint.
Add in Wheeler and Enaruna’s athletics, stopping drives and sprinting back out to shooters, and this Maine defense is an extremely fun watch.
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