Red Claws Suffer First Home Loss

Last night the Maine Red Claws continued the weekend trend and snapped a winning streak with a disappointing home loss. They followed the lead of the Celtics' home loss to Philly Friday night in the TD Garden, which ended an eleven-game winning streak for Boston. Saturday it was the Red Claws' turn, as their 113-105 loss ended a seven-game winning streak, dropping them to 7-2 and ending their brief possession of the best record in the D-League. Another sellout crowd in the Portland Expo watched the Claws come out in the first half and let the Fort Wayne Mad Ants walk all over them. The visitors seemed to sink every basket early on, working together in a way they clearly hadn't during their Friday night OT loss to Springfield. By halftime the Red Claws were trailing 62-55.

The third quarter was better, and by the start of the fourth the Red Claws had a narrow lead. The third quarter was the Claws' best in the game by far, and they really began to sync as a team. It was looking as though they might not only pull it out, but pull well ahead of the Mad Ants - just as in the second quarter of the Celtics-6ers game it looked like Boston might put Philly away. As in that game, it was not to be. Fort Wayne readjusted and came out strong in the fourth quarter, erasing Maine's gains.

One of the problems for the Red Claws was a lack of scoring balance. The Mad Ants had five players in double digits and two others close behind with 8-9 points. Led by F Ron Howard with 30 points, the Ants had a fairly balanced, very effective offense last night. When the Claws started to readjust and pull ahead, they did too, dampening several attempted rallies.

Maine, meanwhile, had four players in double digits, and two of those were far closer to 10 than 20. G Billy Thomas and F Darnell Lazare had 11 and 12 points, respectively. Lester Hudson's anemic performance didn't help any (7 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists). Indeed, if this game was the only factor, Hudson would be staying in Maine and Walker would be headed back to Boston.

Bill Walker and Alexis Ajinca were both outstanding last night. Walker had 33 points, leading the team and keeping them in the game all night. Ajinca neared a double-double with 23 points and 9 rebounds, making good adjustments to read the plays. It was his best performance in Maine so far, and is indicative of steady improvement since the beginning of the season. Hopefully it's a trend that will continue for him, and hopefully they won't again have to carry the team on their back. Combined, they had half the points last night.

The team as a whole failed at the defensive end of the court last night. Much of the Claws' success can be attributed to defensive prowess, which is even more uncommon in the D-League than it is in the NBA. The Claws have won three games scoring less than 100, and two of those were less than 90. They're one of the best defensive teams in the D-League right now, but after last night they know that defense has to be there on every play in every quarter.

The Red Claws have had a few disappointing efforts even in their seven-game winning streak, but Fort Wayne's stellar shooting was too much for them to overcome. Clearly they were eager for the win and the Red Claws just weren't ready for another rally.

NOTES: Celtics GM Danny Ainge attended the game...Lester Hudson is expected to return to Boston for the 6PM tilt against the Minnesota Timberwolves...this was the team's third straight sellout...the next game is Saturday, Dec. 26, vs Bakersfield at home, 1PM.

Maine Red Claws Notch Gutsy Win

Last night the Portland Expo crowd watched as their new team notched a gutsy win over the Tulsa 66ers. It was the sort of performance that Celtics fans will recognize, as it featured an anemic first half followed by an impressive second half. It was, by far, the most exciting game of the season, at home or on the road. With the way the Maine Red Claws played in the first half other fans might have fled. Instead, the dedicated Maine basketball fans stuck it out, and saw the Claws come back from a 17-point halftime deficit to win the game.

The Red Claws were barely present in the early going – it was the worst half of basketball in team history. The 4-4 Tulsa 66ers (wholly-owned affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder) were running all over the home team, sinking almost every three-pointer and driving with ease as well. The Claws, meanwhile, were missing not only from downtown, but easy layups and rebounds eluded them. This game was a good test of the team, as they defeated Erie Saturday and arrived home to Portland early Sunday morning.

In the first half, the Claws were flunking that test.

Then the boys in white roared back in the third quarter. They didn’t really go on any impressive runs, but by the five-minute mark they’d whittled the deficit down to just eight points, and by the start of the fourth it was a three-point game. The third-quarter team was the virtual opposite of the first-half team, and that continued in the fourth. Finally, near the end of the fourth Maine took the lead on an Anthony Terrell tip shot and never looked back, thrilling Mainers with an impressive finish.

Frankly, it would have been satisfying to see the team lose only by eight points or so instead of twenty or thirty. Instead, the sold-out Expo saw a remarkable turnaround. The truly interesting thing about this game, though, was that no one player led the team in the comeback. As usual, the Claws had balanced scoring with different players contributing. This time it was Will Blalock and Darnell Lazare leading the way. Lazare, in fact, was 2 rebounds away from a double-double.

Bill Walker was largely absent from this game at the offensive end. He scored only 6 points in 28 minutes and was the only starter not to reach double digits. In fact, this was the fourth game in a row in which Walker did not lead the Red Claws in scoring. One more of these games and he won’t be leading the team in scoring either, though he is by far the leader in rebounds, reflecting his skillset as a defensive (rather than offensive) juggernaut.

This sort of hard-fought victory usually is a sign of a good coaching too, and this game was no exception. Indeed, with such balanced scoring, it reflects very well on Austin Ainge’s coaching ability – in case the 5-1 start hadn’t convinced you yet. Ainge is acquitting himself well so far as Head Coach, proving that Jon Jennings made an astute hire. Far from the usual expansion experience, the Maine Red Claws are a top-notch team.

The Red Claws’ success will also create a better experience for the NBA assignees. Instead of carrying the team on their back, they can focus on improving their skills. Just as in the NBA, having a balanced team that’s really a team – not a collection of players – makes life easier for everyone. Celtics and Bobcats fans should join Mainers in being pleased with the new team’s success.

NOTES: G Mario West was out with an anterior ligament strain and is day-to-day....this was the Claws' fifth straight win and the second straight home sellout...the next home game is Sat., Dec. 19, vs. Fort Wayne Mad Ants at 7:30PM.

Maine Red Claws Preseason Postgame

The Maine Red Claws played their first game tonight, a preseason game against the Springfield Armor in the Augusta Civic Center. For those From Away, Augusta is the state capital, about an hour north of Portland (the normal home of the Red Claws) up I-95. In front of a large, boisterous crowd that included Maine Governor John Baldacci and Celtics GM Danny Ainge, NBDL basketball was played in New England for the first time. Although the Red Claws fell to the Springfield Armor, it was an excellent chance for the state to begin to fall in love with the team. Maine's basketball fanaticism was very much on display.

The Red Claws looked rough, as is to be expected of any newly-established team. It's important to note that while the Springfield Armor are new to the region, they are a relocated team, unlike the expansion Red Claws. So the Armor have played together, whereas the Red Claws are a recently thrown-together group. Still, they played well, and Austin Ainge acquitted himself in his first performance as Head Coach.

The Claws were behind at halftime and looked lackluster for much of the first half, but whatever Austin said to them at halftime worked. They came out in the third looking strong, and it was an exciting, back-and-forth game for most of the second half. Unfortunately a few key missed shots for the Claws knocked them out with about a minute left, and they lost by eight points.

This team played unevenly, but with a lot of energy, including from recently-assigned Celtic Bill Walker. Walker looked good; in 25 minutes he scored 13 points, had 3 boards and no assists, tying with Tony Bobbit in both categories. Bobbit did better with 5 boards and an assist, though. The Claws' statistical leader was Darnell Lazare, with 19 points, 8 boards, and no assists in about 34 minutes. FULL BOX.

I've no doubt that with Austin at the helm they will improve tremendously over the course of the season. It was a great idea to do a preseason elsewhere in the state and build up excitement for the team outside their home base of Portland. Principle owner Bill Ryan, Jr., President Jon Jennings, and the entire Red Claws ownership group and staff have run an impressive, professional organization from the get-go. They've clearly learned from other teams how to do things right. Long before the home opener at the Portland Expo next Friday vs. Springfield (again) they've fully embedded themselves into the community.

They've sponsored a number of charity events, and the team's dancers have shown up at various events. They've held very effective open houses, letting folks visit the revamped Portland Expo facility, seeing how it will look on gameday. Their staff is friendly, helpful, and accessible - something I especially appreciate as a season-ticket holder. It's good to know, as a customer, that I'll be dealing with true professionals.

I recently received my season-ticket holder packet, and realized that I don't get a bundle of tickets - I get a card as a pass instead that functions as a ticket for every game. I don't know if every NBDL team does this or not, but I have not seen it done before, and I'm already thrilled by it. It makes my life immensely easier. I really hope that if it works, the Celtics consider doing the same for their season ticket holders in the future. This is one area where the Celtics could learn from the Red Claws.

All this explains why, in the middle of a recession, the Red Claws managed to sell a huge number of season tickets. Regardless of their record this year (and I think they will be competitive), they are a welcome addition to Maine. Indeed, not only Mainers but all Celtics fans should be thrilled with this new arrangement, as in the long term, it will work out very well for all involved.