The Celtics have not had a chance to win a title in 14 years, dating back to Game 7 of the 2010 Finals.
They (sort of) get that opportunity again on Monday, when the Maine Celtics host the OKC Blue in Game 3 of the G-League Finals at 9 p.m. at the Portland Expo.
Yes, it’s the G League, and no, the prize isn’t a Larry O’Brian trophy.
But, if you ask anyone on the Maine Celtics roster, a title would still be quite awesome.
“It would be really cool,” Neemias Queta, one of the team’s star players, remarked. “All the guys put in the work during the whole year for one goal and one goal only, and that was to win this championship, and we’re just one win away at this point.”
Maine turned it around midseason.
The Maine Celtics began the season with a.500 record, winning 8 of 16 exhibition games and 11 of their first 22 regular season games. However, they caught fire in the second half of the season, winning ten of their final twelve games.
In the playoffs, they defeated the Delaware Blue Coats 119-112 in the Conference Semi-Finals and the Long Island Nets 99-77 in the Conference Finals, both of which were single-elimination games hosted in Portland. DJ Steward was instrumental in each of those victories, scoring 19 fourth-quarter points against the Nets.
Last week, they defeated the Oklahoma City Blue 106-86 in Game 1 of a best-of-three Finals series. Maine dominated the game from beginning to end, paced by JD Davison (23 points and 12 assists) and Neemias Queta (20 points (9-11 FG), 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks).
Maine then struggled in Game 2 – their first road game of the playoffs — losing to the Blue 99-89. Lindy Waters III, who had been with the Thunder during the playoffs, joined the Blue and scored 27 points on 10 of 13 shooting. Meanwhile, Maine’s offense sputtered, except for Drew Peterson (29 points).
An full season now culminates in a single 48-minute game in front of one of the G-League’s most vociferous home crowds.
“We’re pretty confident about it,” Queta told reporters late Friday night. “We’re just going to go about it like any other day and just try to bring home a win our way.”
Members of the Boston Celtics will probably be in Portland to support.
Joe Mazzulla stated that he will be in Maine for the critical Game 3 and may be joined by players and other members of the organization. Brad Stevens attended Game 1 of the G-League Finals, while Allison Feaster (VP of Team Operations and Organization Growth) and Mike Zarren (VP of Basketball Operations) were also present for the conference finals.
Six Celtics players went to a Maine Celtic game in College Park, George, on their day off from Atlanta last month.
Mazzulla has stated on numerous occasions that the Maine Celtics’ performance demonstrates a connection between the two clubs and the corporation at large. He maintains regular contact with Maine’s head coach, Blaine Mueller, and mentioned that Blaine and several members of his staff were in Boston for training camp.
“It just validates what you’re trying to create as far as the development, and understanding that everything that everybody does is super important, and that when you work at it, you can achieve those types of results,” Mazzulla said in an interview.
Maine now has two completely guaranteed Celtics players on its roster, as Neemias Queta signed a standard contract last week. JD Davison and Drew Peterson are the team’s two-way players.
All four of those players received more minutes with the parent club on Friday night, and three of them – Walsh, Queta, and Peterson – achieved NBA career highs against the Hornets. Walsh finished with 8 points (3-4 FG), Queta had 16 (8-10 FG), and Peterson had 8 (3-4 FG). JD Davison (7 points) was just one point short of his career high.
“Those guys have done a great job, and when they’re two-ways, and the guys have come up with us, they don’t miss a beat,” Mazzulla said in a statement. “Blaine and the crew have done an excellent job of making it their own while also adhering to the cultural concepts and schemes on both ends of the floor. So I am thrilled for them.”
The Maine players will play with the Celtics on Sunday against the Wizards before traveling to Portland for the championship. The cheapest tickets to that game are priced for $100, a significant hike over prior Maine playoff games, which were listed for $15.
That’s because eager fans understand that this could be their final chance to see the Celtics win a title – until June, that is.
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