Maine Celtics notebook: JD Davison and Baylor Scheierman look NBA-ready, Drew Peterson overcoming concussion, Sam Hauser in the house

The Celtics defeat the College Park Skyhawks, 123-122, in an overtime thriller, thanks to some late-game heroics from Davison.

PORTLAND, MAINE — The Maine Celtics beat the College Park Skyhawks on Thursday night 123-122 thanks to some late-game heroics from JD Davison (36 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists), a superb all-around game from Baylor Scheierman (23 points, 11 assists), and steady contributions from Anton Watson (19 points, 8 rebounds).

With the win, the Maine Celtics improved to 5-5 on the regular season and more importantly, the Celtics’ G-League affiliate continues to demonstrate that several players seem ready for NBA minutes.

Here are four takeaways from a chilly Thursday night at the Portland Expo.

Is JD Davison getting too good for the G-League?

JD Davison, as he has been for much of the past three seasons, was the most dominant player on the floor. An uncharacteristic late-game turnover nearly cost the Celtics the game — but he hit a three-pointer off the glass to send the game to overtime.

Then, in a first-to-7-points Elam Ending in overtime, Davison sunk the game-winning floater. He finished the night with a pretty ridiculous statline: 36 points (16-28 FG), 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.

In his third season in Maine, Davison accomplished everything one could hope to achieve in the G-League. He’s the franchise’s all-time leading scorer in points, assists, and steals.

And at 22 years old, he’s having his best year yet, averaging 25 points per game on 47.4% shooting, alongside 7.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds.

Maine Celtics head coach Tyler Lashbrook complimented Davison’s intelligence after the win.

“The thing that might surprise other people is just how smart he is — because he’s such a quiet person off the court,” he said. “He’s one of, if he’s not the, smartest player I have ever been around in terms of managing situations and understanding coverages and understanding reads and understanding situations. He is a really high-level IQ basketball player.”

That’s pretty high praise coming from a coach who has been around elite players on both the Celtics’ and 76ers’ for the past few seasons.

Baylor Scheierman continues to excel in Maine

Baylor Scheierman, drafted with the No. 30 pick in July, had another strong G-League outing, playing some point guard minutes and demonstrating both his shooting and playmaking abilities.

“I’m enjoying my time up here a lot,” Scheierman told CelticsBlog/CLNS Media pregame. “I enjoy the guys and coaches a lot and just enjoy playing. That’s kind of how you get better, get as many live reps, so I try to take advantage of every chance I get.”

“I feel a lot more comfortable than when I first got up here — especially with new teammates and coaches, it takes some time to adjust… not just with the team, but the NBA style of play,” he said.

Scheierman has been consistently with the Maine Celtics over the past few months, where he’s managed to establish a rhythm both on and off the floor.

“That’s something that the guys in Boston talked a lot about — developing a routine,” he said. “It’s hard to do that when you’re going back and forth, obviously. Being able to be here a lot of the time has helped me get into a routine of not just basketball, but taking care of my body, nutrition, and all that.”

Scheierman has made more three-pointers (46) than any G-League player so far this season. He’s shooting 39.3% from three and 90.5% from the line. He’s also grabbing 6.3 rebounds and racking up 3.9 assists per game.

“I’m very confident in my abilities to impact the game in a lot of different ways,” Scheierman said. “Obviously, coming in, a lot of people thought it was just shooting — but my rebounding, my secondary playmaking is something that might’ve surprised people.”

Scheierman took a knee to the hamstring in the fourth quarter of the game and was hobbled, but returned to the game after a quick locker room visit.

“He’s a baller and a warrior, so it’s going to take everything to keep him out,” Lashbrook said.

Drew Peterson misses game, still dealing with concussion symptoms

Two-way player Drew Peterson suffered a concussion after an in-game collision on Jan. 7 against the Indiana Mad Ants, in Indianapolis. Peterson, a full participant in Wednesday’s Maine Celtics practice, dealt with some concussion symptoms Thursday and was held out of the game for precautionary measures.

Sam Hauser in the house to watch his brother, Joey, face the Celtics

Sam Hauser spent significant time in the G-League with the Maine Celtics before emerging as a rotation player in Boston. His brother, Joey, is looking to follow in his footsteps. Joey Hauser went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft after a college career with Michigan State and Marquette and spent last season with the Ontario Clippers before landing with the Skyhawks this season.

With the Boston Celtics having an off-day on Thursday, Sam and his wife, Mary, attended the game and sat in the crowd with their four-month-old baby, Theodore. At halftime, Joey briefly caught up with the rest of the Hausers before heading to the locker room.

Joey Hauser is averaging 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game for the Skyhawks. The two brothers have a podcast, alongside their dad, called the On the Haus.

Hauser joined the NBC Sports Boston broadcast for an extended stretch in the third quarter.

“There are so many good memories from here [Portland],” Hauser said on the broadcast. “This is where it all started.”