PORTLAND, MAINE — After the Celtics fell to the Grizzlies on Friday night — their fifth game in seven nights — the players all looked forward to a highly-anticipated day off.
But, Jordan Walsh, who saw limited on-court minutes with Boston during that stretch, just wanted to play more basketball.
So, when he realized that the Maine Celtics’ Sunday game at the Portland Expo coincided with a day off for the parent club, he wanted to play. So far this season, after spending most of his rookie season in Portland, the second-year forward hasn’t spent a day in the G League.
“I asked if I could come down and play in this game during practice yesterday,” Walsh said after the Maine Celtics’ 109-108 loss to the Greensboro Swarm on Sunday. “I asked some of my PD [player development] coaches.”
The Celtics were happy to accommodate his request.
“Brad [Stevens] called me, and said, ‘you want to go down?’” Walsh said. “I was like, ‘can I play in a game real quick?’ and he was like, ‘yeah.’
Not only did the Celtics coaching staff grant Walsh his wish, but they even accompanied him; director of player development Craig Luschenat and player enhancement coach Nana Foulland both made the trip up to Portland on their off day, too.
Jordan Walsh excelled in his Maine Celtics season debut
Walsh spent most of last year in Maine after getting drafted No. 38 overall in 2023. But, he has spent all of his sophomore season with Boston so far, capitalizing on some early-season injuries to Sam Hauser (back) and Jaylen Brown (hip). In sixteen games played, Walsh averaged 9.3 minutes and drew praise from his teammates.
“Whenever his number’s been called, he’s done an amazing job,” said Jrue Holiday. “It’s not so much about the scoring — it’s more about how he’s impacted the game.”
Walsh flourished in his return to Maine, finishing with 20 points (8-12 FG), 5 rebounds, an assist, a block, and a steal. He also hit 3 of 7 three-pointers and defended at a high level.
Perhaps most telling, he finished the night with a plus/minus of +21, the highest of any player on either team.
“I thought he was phenomenal today — with his confidence, with the screening, with his defense,” said Maine head coach Tyler Lashbrook. “I felt really comfortable with him out there, and I have seen him take steps over the summer and then, through August and September, and that translated to some playing time with Boston. And you saw it today — he was really, really, really good.”
Jordan Walsh just hit a big three to cut the Maine Celtics deficit to 3 points with 4 mins to play
He’s up to 16 points on 6-10 shooting pic.twitter.com/dIcaW84SQe
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) December 8, 2024
Lashbrook, who was also a member of the player development staff last year in Boston, loved that Walsh took the initiative to ask to play in Maine.
“That was exciting to hear — he wants to be a part of this,” Lashbrook said. “He wants to play. At the end of the day, he’s a basketball player. That’s what these guys do — they want to play.”
For Walsh, it was a no-brainer.
“It just made sense,” Walsh said. “We had a couple off days. These guys had a back-to-back. I know maybe some of them want to rest a little bit. But, more than anything, I just wanted to come play.”
Plus, he returned to a hero’s welcome. Walsh became a fan favorite in Maine during his rookie season and was met with raucous applause when his name was first announced.
“I felt like Marcus Smart in Boston when I checked into the game,” Walsh said. “It was pretty cool. Then, they blew up on the first bucket too, which was also pretty cool. It shows that here in Maine, they have a lot of love for me.”
Jordan Walsh got a loud ovation from the crowd in Maine when his name was announced today:
“I felt like Marcus Smart in Boston. It was pretty cool.” pic.twitter.com/0fdFZfjvfm
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) December 8, 2024
Making the trip up north also meant that Walsh, who prefers the food in Portland to the food in Boston, could dine at some of his favorite local restaurants from his time in Maine. After his postgame media availability, he was eager to head out to Leeward, his favorite restaurant.
Then, he headed back to Boston, where he’ll rejoin the Boston Celtics.
The Maine Celtics fell to the Swarm after a controversial late whistle
A come-from-behind game ended up in disappointment for the Maine Celtics thanks to a late-game call. The G League adheres to the Elam Ending rules for overtime, meaning that rather than play for an allotted amount of time, teams play to 7 overtime points.
With the score tied at 108 (and the target score set at 109), rookie Anton Watson appeared to steal the ball on the final play with a clear lane to the basket. The referees called a late foul, and subsequently, a technical foul was issued on an incredulous Tyler Lashbrook.
Lashbrook was tight-lipped about the call postgame, simply noting he would “disagree very kindly” with the referees’ decision to call a foul.
The Celtics’ other rookie, Baylor Scheierman, noted he didn’t have a good look in real-time, but that “looking at the replay, obviously it looked pretty clean.”
Regardless of the game’s outcome, Walsh was glad he decided to make the trip.
“I would have been just sitting in my crib doing nothing,” Walsh said with a smile. “This is a way better alternative.”