PORTLAND, Maine — The Maine Red Claws used a balanced attack and a strong second half to defeat the Erie Bayhawks, 111-95 in NBA D-League action Thursday night at the Portland Expo.
The Red Claws have now won five straight games.
The game featured three Red Claws players on assignment from the Boston Celtics. Coty Clarke, who signed a 10-day contract with Boston on Monday, returned to Maine and scored 18 points, 16 of those in the second half. Jordan Mickey added 14 points and 6 rebounds, and James Young scored 12 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and added 4 assists.
Tim Frazier finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in the win for Maine. Corey Walden scored 13 points, Marcus Thornton added 11 points, and Levi Randolph 10.
The Red Claws (26-15) started the first quarter slowly, with Erie jumping out to an early advantage. Maine righted the ship with an 11-2 run. Walden drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put Maine up 30-23 after one.
In the second quarter, the Bayhawks (26-15) settled in, cutting the lead to two. Mickey’s alley-oop slam got the crowd going, and Frazier knocked down two 3-pointers. Still, Erie outscored Maine 24-20 in the second, and the Claws’ lead was 50-47 at the break.
The second half was a different story. Clarke and Frazier started the Red Claws hot in the third quarter and the Maine defense limited Erie to 19 points. The Red Claws started the fourth quarter on a 13-0 run, with Clarke leading the charge and the Claws lead surged to 22 points. Maine coasted to victory in the final period, emptying the bench and putting 35 points on the board.