FRISCO, Texas — In a game of runs, the Maine Red Claws struck the final blow Monday night, outscoring Texas 8-2 over the last minute to win 95-89 at Dr. Pepper Arena, ending a five-game losing streak.
“It felt really good,” Maine Coach Austin Ainge said. “We had two days of practice, which is rare this time of season, especially on the road and it was desperately needed. I was really proud of our guys.”
After three quarters, the Red Claws (11-16) trailed 71-61, but they outscored the Legends (12-12) 34-18 in the final quarter.
Maine had a strong performance from long range in the final quarter. The Red Claws were 3 of 5 from behind the arc. DeShawn Sims had one 3-pointer while Jamar Smith connected twice.
“Jamar (Smith) hit one and then, I hit one,” Sims said. “That kind of sealed the deal. Those were big shots. We just came together and took it as a team this time.”
That strong showing in the final period came after the Legends finished the third quarter on a 10-0 run to build a double-digit edge.
Despite the deficit, Ainge kept his message simple at the end of the third.
“I just said, ‘Keep the pressure on, keep attacking and things will go our way.’ That was the theme of the night,” Ainge said. “Some shots fell. DeShawn (Sims) hit a huge one at the end. We made just enough plays to win.”
Sims led all scorers with 19 points and Smith chipped in 17. Mario West had 15 points and 10 rebounds for Maine despite missing the fourth quarter due to an injury.
“He got his legs taken out on (a) dunk,” Ainge said. “He’s just bruised and sore.”
No matter how they got there, the victory was sweet for the Red Claws, especially against the same team that beat them 116-102 Friday night.
“Man, it feels so good to win. Winning brings happiness to the team,” Sims said. “It builds team chemistry. We were due for one.”
For Ainge, those two days of practice between Friday night’s loss and Monday’s game made all the difference.
“They did the things we worked on,” Ainge said.
“They showed heart. They played hard. We held them to 40 percent shooting and forced 20 turnovers and that’s a very good offensive team. I’m very proud of my guys.”
Sims agreed with Ainge’s assessment.
“We had two great practices over the span of us being here in Texas. We gelled in practice,” Sims said.
“That was the overall deciding factor in us winning this game.”
Sims hoped the end of the long losing streak would spark a nice win streak.
“I think this is a starting point. We’re going to continue to get better and work on things,” Sims said.
Maine returns home to play Erie at 7 p.m. Friday.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
