Regular Season

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Taylor Snow

PORTLAND, Maine – An inspiring run through the G League playoffs came to a devastating end for the Maine Celtics Monday night, as they came up 17 points short of their first championship.

The Oklahoma City Blue battled back after suffering a 20-point defeat in Game 1 of the best-of-three series by winning Game 2 on their home court before capturing the title with a 117-100 win in a do-or-die Game 3 at Portland Expo Building.

It was a tight contest until around the four-minute mark of the second quarter when OKC turned a 42-40 lead into a 63-40 halftime advantage. That 21-0 run was extended to a 28-0 run out of the break, as the Blue went up, 70-40.

Maine managed to cut the deficit in half by the 3:21 mark of the fourth quarter but didn’t have enough left in the tank to get over the hump.

The Celtics were already hobbled heading into the game, as two-way center Neemias Queta played through an illness after nearly having to sit out, and rookie wing Jordan Walsh played through an ankle injury that he suffered early in the first quarter.

Despite the frustrating result, head coach Blaine Mueller reflected fondly on the journey. After a .500 start through the first two-thirds of the regular season, his squad surged to a 10-2 finish before battling its first Finals appearance.

“Certainly not the result we wanted, especially at home,” he told Celtics.com after the game. "I wish we could’ve given a better game for our fans, a better game for our guys, overall. But a tremendous amount of individual growth over the course of the season. We set out as a staff to our three core tenets in terms of what we wanted to provide, and that was joy, development, and winning. All three of those things are very much intertwined and interconnected, and we had a hell of a lot of fun.”

Celtics two-way player JD Davison played a huge role in that run, all the way to the final game in which he tallied 22 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, and four steals.

“To be able to get to this point to where we’re at now,” the point guard said, “I just can’t explain the way this group fought and just came together from the beginning to now.”

Maine’s fans played a significant part in the team's success, as well, filling every inch of its small gymnasium with deafening cheers. The Celtics were a shining light for the state after it had gone through tragedy at the start of the season following the mass shooting that took place in Lewiston, Maine.

Mueller said that the environment those fans created, “was fantastic. It was palpable. You walk in there and feel the excitement, feel the buzz in the crowd. Our guys unfortunately didn’t get it done for them – I wish we could have given our fans a better performance – but they’ve been tremendous the whole year, especially throughout this playoff run.”

After the disappointment has settled, Mueller hopes his team can take a look back and appreciate the run that they made. It’s certainly something that he doesn’t take for granted in his first year as a head coach.

 “I told the guys, we didn’t need a championship to know how special a team this is, how special the locker room is,” Mueller concluded. “It would’ve been nice to have it so everybody else would know how special it is. But for me, this is the best year of my life. I had so much fun … And I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

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Maine Celtics Have a Lot to Be Proud of After 1st G League Finals Run

BOSTON – Svi Mykhailiuk knew that signing with the Boston Celtics this past summer would result in a reduced role compared to what he experienced in previous seasons. But he also knew that he’d have scattered opportunities to contribute to a contending team’s winning formula, and one of those chances arrived Sunday afternoon while facing off against the Washington Wizards.

In resting their top six players for the regular-season finale, the Celtics called on an entirely new starting rotation. Among them was Mykhailiuk, who seized the moment by putting forth one of the best performances of his life.

The sixth-year wing poured in a career-high-tying 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including a career-best 6-of-8 effort from 3-point range. He also dished out a season-high five assists, tied a season-best with five rebounds, and was plus-21 in 37 minutes of a 132-122 Celtics win – their 64th of the season.

“I just took what the game gave me,” Mykhailliuk said. “I took some more shots, open shots, made some shots early. I feel like that gave me a little more confidence.”

Mykhailiuk opened the game with 12 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting, making him the only Celtic this season with a 12-point quarter on at least five attempts without a miss. The majority of his makes came from beyond the arc, but the most impressive one came in a magnificent display of athleticism during the first quarter when he went from a full-court sprint into an alley-oop dunk off of a dish from Payton Pritchard.

Pritchard was also among those who benefitted from an elevated role, as he logged a career-high 38 points to go with 12 assists, and nine rebounds, making him just the third Celtic to hit those marks along with Larry Bird and John Havlicek. He also shot 15-of-21 from the field, making him just the fifth player in NBA history to reach the aforementioned marks on at least 70 percent shooting, joining Bird, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Wilt Chamberlain, and Clyde Drexler.

Neemias Queta had a fantastic showing off the bench with career highs of 19 points and six blocks, as well as nine rebounds. He became just the fifth Celtic to reach those marks along with Dave Cowens, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Kristaps Porzingis.

“We knew we were gonna have the opportunity to play a lot of minutes,” Mykhailiuk said. “Everybody came prepared, everybody was excited to get on the court and (have more) playing time, and everybody wanted to win and finish the regular season on the right note and start preparing for the playoffs.”

Most of the role players will see their minutes drop back down in the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any opportunities for them to step in during certain situations. That’s why they call the reserve unit the “Stay Ready Crew,” and head coach Joe Mazzulla knows that Mykhailiuk is one of the guys who will always be ready.

“When we asked Svi to come here, one of the things I told him was, ‘It’s going to be inconsistent at times. But because of how we play, we’re going to rely on you guys to win us games, so the things you do daily are important.’ And he bought into that, and that was great … He’s done a lot of great things for us. I love his work ethic on a daily basis, and he helped us win games this year.”

Mykhailiuk says that the conversation he had with Mazzulla recurred throughout the campaign. It made him feel better prepared for any chance he was given.

“[Mazzulla] mentioned that during the season a lot and it makes you cautious and makes you understand that you actually have to be prepared at any time for whatever happens,” Mykhailiuk said. “We understand that we are one of the best teams in the league and we have really big goals, so for me personally to help the team win, you’ve just always got to be prepared.”

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Svi's Career Game Helps C's Close Regular Season on High Note

Marc D'Amico

As Joe Mazzulla has emphasized to his team all season long, closing out quarters with strong play is critical to Boston’s long-term success. The Celtics made him proud in that respect Sunday afternoon.

Boston, playing without its top six players for the second straight game to end the season, was knotted up in a tie ballgame with less than two and a half minutes left in the first half. But by the time the C’s went to the locker room, they had burst ahead by 10 points to set the tone for the remainder of the contest.

Payton Pritchard was not only at the center of the game-changing run; he was the game-changing run. Pritchard scored all 14 of Boston’s points over the final 2:19 of the first half to give him 22 points in the game – seven more than any other player had notched to that point.

The blooming point guard, who has now logged consecutive double-doubles heading into the postseason of at least 30 points and 11 assists, canned all five of his shots during this stretch of action. Four of them were from long distance, including back-to-back triples to start the run, and back-to-back triples to end the run. The final shot was drilled from 26 feet out and with 3.6 seconds left on the first-half clock, leaving Pritchard to walk off the court with a smug look on his face as if to say, “This is what I do.”

That was the beginning of the end of Washington. The Celtics dominated the second half, pulling ahead by as many as 24 points before completing a 132-122 win.

In a Keys to the Game first, we’re handing out not one, but two Key Player awards tonight. The first goes to Payton Pritchard, and the second goes to Neemias Queta.

Pritchard continued his hot streak Sunday afternoon by piling up a career-high 38 points to go along with 12 assists and nine rebounds. He led the game in all three categories, all while setting a new season high with nearly 44 minutes of action. Pritchard somehow only committed two turnovers while playing that long, with the ball in his hands that much. A truly special performance that caps a truly special weekend, as Pritchard joined legends John Havlicek, Larry Bird and Bob Cousy as the only members of the organization to ever log back-to-back 30-point, 10-assist double-doubles.

Since Pritchard has been owning this slot of late, we figured we should share the love. And Queta is more than deserving of it.

Queta nearly logged a 20-point double-double Sunday afternoon despite playing less than 20 minutes. He finished with a career-high 19 points to go along with nine rebounds. He made eight of his 11 shot attempts and three of his four free throws. He also set a new career high in blocked shots with six, which doubled his previous career high, and which was two more than Washington’s entire team logged.

"We know exactly who we are on both sides of the ball, and also know we have the depth and the open-mindedness to adapt when necessary."

- Joe Mazzulla on the Celtics heading into the postseason

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 132, Wizards 122

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Photos: Wizards vs. Celtics – April 14th, 2024

Today, the Boston Celtics will celebrate a legend.

After 43 remarkable years in the broadcast booth, Mike Gorman is set to call his final regular-season game for the NBA’s most storied franchise when they host the Washington Wizards at TD Garden.

The entire afternoon will be filled with tributes for the Hall-of-Fame commentator both in the arena and on the NBC Sports Boston broadcast.

An extended in-arena halftime session will include a video montage of Gorman’s career along with speeches from Celtics ownership, an exclusive interview with Gorman led by his broadcast partner Brian Scalabrine, and other surprises.

Gorman’s last regular-season call is also being honored league-wide. The NBA shared a video on social media Sunday morning that included several esteemed broadcasters paying their respects such as Mike Breen, Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan, and Reggie Miller.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla also had some kind words to share pregame after growing close to Gorman over the last few years.

“Just in the back of the plane my first couple of years, I would always walk back there, we would have certain conversations, just listening to his insight, listening to his wisdom,” Mazzulla said. “I think just his humility, his ability to just connect with different people and then just being a voice of the team. He has a distinct voice that whether it’s on TV or in person, it sounds the same all the time. So I've been honored to get to know him and honored to be a part of his last few days here with the Celtics.”

After Sunday’s celebrations, Gorman will remain on the call through the first round of the playoffs until it's finally time to turn off the mic and give those legendary vocal cords a rest.

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Pregame Post-Ups: Celtics to Honor Gorman in Last Regular-Season Game

Boston Celtics

The Washington Wizards will attempt to end their season on a high note and halt a five-game losing streak Sunday when they visit the Boston Celtics on the final day of the NBA's regular season.

The Wizards (15-66) were the first Eastern Conference team eliminated from playoff contention this season. Only Detroit (14-67) has a worse record in the NBA.

The team's coaching situation is one issue the Wizards will have to address following Sunday's game. Brian Keefe was promoted from top assistant to interim head coach in January. He replaced Wes Unseld Jr.

Keefe tiptoed around the question when he was asked Friday if he wanted to return as Washington's head coach next season.

"We have another game," Keefe said. "My sole focus has been on our group, on our team -- to keep us progressing. I haven't thought about that stuff yet because I've been engrossed with trying to help our team improve and help our team get better, which I think we have. So we have another game on Sunday and we're going to throw everything we have into our energy. ... We're excited for our challenge Sunday at Boston."

The Celtics (63-18), who will be the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, have been on cruise control since they locked up home-court advantage throughout the playoffs in early April. Boston won't know it's first-round playoff opponent until after the play-in tournament.

Boston rarely has played all of its starters in recent games. The Celtics rested the top six players in their rotation Friday, but still came away with a 131-98 home victory against Charlotte.

Point guard Payton Pritchard scored a career-high 31 points and had 11 assists in 31 minutes against the Hornets. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said he's seen significant improvement in Pritchard's game this season.

"Just being a complete player from the standpoint of every game is going to be different," Mazzulla said. "He affects the game in many different ways. Having a consistent role for an entire season is really beneficial, which I think this is the first time he's had that where you know each and every night when he's playing, where's he's playing and kind of what the potential is.

"So I think a little bit of that and then every night it could be different. It could be shooting, it could be ball-handling, it could be defense, it could be rebounding. And then he really takes pride in game management -- end of quarters, start of quarters. Scanning the floor. It's been really good to watch him play."

The Celtics, who are averaging 120.4 points per game, have a 36-4 home record this season. One of those home wins was a 133-129 victory against the Wizards on Feb. 9. The Celtics also beat the Wizards twice on the road, 126-107 on Oct. 30 and 130-104 on March 17.

The Wizards went with a young lineup for Friday's 129-127 home loss to Chicago. Patrick Baldwin Jr. scored 18 points and had 12 rebounds in the loss, and rookie Tristan Vukcevic added a career-high 19 points.

"We've played a lot of close games, fourth-quarter games, but (it's) taking advantage of their opportunity," Keefe said when asked about the team's younger players. "I think that's the thing that I've been really pleased about with them, is that when their opportunity has (come) throughout the year, they've seized the moment."

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4/14 Game Preview: Wizards at Celtics

BOSTON – Rather than putting their feet up between Games 2 and 3 of the G League Finals, Celtics players JD Davison, Drew Peterson, Neemias Queta, and Jordan Walsh decided that they wanted to get some extra reps at the NBA level.

Not even 20 hours after completing the middle game of the best-of-three championship round, those four made their way from Oklahoma City to Boston and stepped in against the Charlotte Hornets to combine for 39 points in a 131-98 Celtics win.

“I think it’s about building habits, good habits, winning habits,” Queta said after a 16-point, six-rebound, five-assist, two-steal effort. “Being able to come out on the floor and play meaningful minutes on the NBA court is something we value a lot and it’s gonna be important for our development long-term. So the more minutes we can play and be able to contribute to winning, the more happy we can be.”

Walsh was happy to contribute by knocking down the first two 3-pointers of his NBA career. He finished with eight points while shooting 3-of-4 from the field and 2-of-3 from long range, which was identical to the stat line posted by Peterson. Davison chipped in with seven points and was second on the team in assists with seven, trailing only Payton Pritchard’s 11-assist night.

Pritchard, who also scored a career-high 31 points, was impressed with the play of those guys coming off the bench, noting how much they seem to improve each time they come back to Boston.

“It just shows why they're in the championship in the G League,” Pritchard said. “Jordan, JD, Neemi, Drew, they are tremendous players getting better every time I see them.”

There was even a stretch toward the end of the game during which all four of them were on the court together, just as they were playing together in Maine. The chemistry was evident among them, as they closed the game on an 11-2 run.

“I feel like the game comes easier for us,” Queta said, “because we build our chemistry [in Maine] and understand a little bit of each other's dynamics where to be at, what guys like to do … The more we play with each other, we're starting to build a bit more. And these moments are really important for the development of our group. The more we can be able to come in there and play as hard as we can and take these minutes as meaningful reps, I feel like it's only gonna help the team long-term.”

The game also seemed to come easy for that group from a systematic standpoint, to which head coach Joe Mazzulla credits the alignment between both the Maine and Boston teams.

“I think it’s just a testament to the coaching staff, the front office, the players, and it shows the continuity amongst the organization, which is kind of what we’re looking for,” said Mazzulla. “So those guys have played really well any time they’ve come up for us, and they are doing a heck of a job [up] there.”

The job that they’ve done has put them within one win of capturing a G League championship. Getting these final competitive reps in before Monday night’s title game, hopefully, will help put them over the top.

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Maine’s Stars Shine for Boston Ahead of G League Title Game

With their seeding beyond locked up for the looming Playoffs, the Celtics rested all five of their starters plus Al Horford Friday night against Charlotte. The reserves didn’t skip a beat.

Friday’s starting crew of Payton Pritchard, Jaden Springer, Sam Hauser, Svi Mykhailiuk and Luke Kornet, along with reserves Oshae Brissett, Jordan Walsh and Xavier Tillman Sr., helped the Celtics to build a nine-point lead on multiple occasions during the first quarter. And that was just the beginning of this runaway win.

Boston eventually pulled ahead by as many as 35 points, spurred by 31-6 run late in the first half that turned a three-point advantage into a 28-point lead. Pritchard and Hauser, the two players from Boston’s likely playoff rotation who appeared Friday night, were at the center of the game-changing run as they scored 10 points apiece during the frame. Pritchard scored all 10 of his points during the run, all while dishing out four assists.

From that moment on, the Celtics were in cruise control. That allowed members of the Maine Celtics – who were called up in the middle of the G League Finals – to pile up some numbers during the second half. Queta wound up finishing with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists, Jordan Walsh piled up eight points and three rebounds and a steal, JD Davison totaled seven points, seven assists and four rebounds, and Drew Peterson scored eight points.

Boston’s 131-98 victory secures the fact that the team will finish this season without ever losing three straight games, becoming the first Celtics roster to accomplish that feat since the 2010-11 team.

So many options, but only one Key Player spot. Payton Pritchard, with his career-high scoring effort, is the man who has earned the award tonight.

Pritchard was dominant from start to finish in his spot start. He led the game with a career-high 31 points, and he also led the game with 11 assists. This performance marks the third double-double effort of his four-year career.

As is typical of Pritchard’s game, he was extremely efficient shooting the ball against Charlotte. He canned 14 of his 22 shots from the field, including three makes from long distance. He led the game in both field goal makes and attempts and set new career highs in each category.

Pritchard rounded out his box score with three rebounds and one steal, showing everyone who’s watching that he’s more than ready for the bright lights of the postseason.