Portland's Celtics Clinch Fourth Straight G League Playoff Berth

The Maine Celtics finished their regular season on a high note Tuesday, defeating the Cleveland Charge 130-105 to clinch a spot in the NBA G League Playoffs presented by Google. The decisive victory at the Portland Expo showcased the Celtics' ability to execute at crunch time, with Aaron Scott scoring eight points in just three minutes on perfect shooting to help seal the win. The 38-assist performance highlighted Maine's emphasis on ball movement and team play down the stretch.

Despite entering the final game of the regular season at 17-18, the Celtics captured their magic moment when they needed it most. The victory improved Maine to 18-18 for the season, securing the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Celtics' postseason qualification marks the fourth straight year Maine has qualified for the G League Playoffs, establishing professional basketball as a consistent presence in Maine's sports landscape.

Maine's path to the playoffs came after catching fire at the end of the regular season. The team's defensive intensity played a key role, as the Celtics remained undefeated when holding opponents under 100 points this season. On Sunday alone, Maine held an opponent under the century mark for the tenth time, demonstrating the defensive prowess that carried them into the postseason.

The seventh-seeded Celtics faced the second-seeded Greensboro Swarm in a single-elimination Eastern Conference quarterfinal matchup on March 31. Maine was seeking its third straight appearance in the Eastern Conference finals after advancing to the franchise's first-ever G League Finals in 2024. The postseason tournament culminated in a best-of-three G League Finals format, with the top eight teams from each conference competing for the championship.