by PORTLAND, MA -– It looked as though the Westchester Knicks (10-36), the official NBA Development League affiliate of the New York Knickerbockers, would snap a five-game losing streak and postpone the Maine Red Claws’ playoff berth. But a disordered second half would seal the deal for the Red Claws (32-14), the Boston Celtic’s affiliate, and solidify a loss for Westchester.
Westchester’s Doron Lamb had a magnificent first quarter, securing 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting and hitting 2-of-2 from downtown. The Knicks outrebounded Maine 16-9 and had almost three times as many assists over the Red Claws in the first. Going on a 10-0 run midway through the quarter, Westchester took a 19 point lead over Maine to close out the first twelve minutes.
Though the Red Claws recovered with a respectable 30-point second quarter, Maine still struggled from beyond the arc in the first half, shooting just 29 percent on three-point attempts and 35 percent overall. Ben Strong and Darnell Jackson joined Lamb in double-digits for Westchester in the second quarter, the team ending the half with the lead 63-47.
The game changed dramatically in the second half. Maine cut Westchester’s game-high 21 point lead down to seven midway through the third quarter, and ended the quarter trailing just six points. With 9:10 on the clock in the fourth, the Red Claws took the lead from the Knicks off an Andre Stringer three-pointer and held the Knicks to just three points through the first six minutes. Westchester, unable to bounce back, could not regain the lead and went on to lose the contest 102-94.
Two Knicks recorded double-doubles in the loss. Ben Strong (Red Lake Tribe) paced Westchester with 21 points, 13 rebounds and added 4 assists. Darnell Jackson contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds, also adding three assists. Doron Lamb finished with 20 points and seven rebounds; Thanasis Antetokounmpo with 15 points, three rebounds, and two blocked shots.
Jason Calliste paced the Red Claws with 24 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. James Young and Tim Frazier each had 16 points while Romero Osby just missed a double-double, finishing with 15 points and nine rebounds.
The Westchester Knicks return home to the Westchester County Center on Monday, March 30 to face the Grand Rapids Drive, the Detroit Pistons’ affiliate, for a 7:00 p.m. ET tip. The game will be broadcast live on MSG+, AM 1230 WFAS, and YouTube.
