The identity of the tall fellow in the green sweater, blue jeans and white sneakers may not have been apparent to all in the sellout crowd of 2,717 at the Portland Expo on Saturday afternoon.
But everyone on the basketball court and both benches knew that Danny Ainge, president and general manager of the Boston Celtics, was sitting on the opposite sideline.
With the boss looking on, Celtics rookie point guard Demetrius Jackson came off the bench for a season-high 30 points to lead the Red Claws to a 117-106 victory over the Windy City Bulls.
“I definitely had butterflies early,” said Jackson, drafted by Ainge in the second round in June out of Notre Dame, “because he (controls) a big part of your career.”
The victory was the second in a row and third in four games for the Claws (12-7), who return to the road for two games before hosting Fort Wayne next Sunday in another matinee. Windy City (6-10) has lost six straight.
Saturday marked Jackson’s 14th game for the Red Claws. He started only the first eight.
“I enjoy coming off the bench,” Jackson said. “You can watch and observe how the game’s going. It’s also a great opportunity to come in and bring positive energy and give your team a lift, especially if we have a slow start.”
The Claws trailed by as many as eight in the first quarter but took the lead for good early in the second on a double-pumping baseline drive by Jackson, who pulled the ball away from 7-foot-1 Bulls center Alec Brown on one side of the rim and laid it in off the glass on the other.
It was the most impressive basket in a 12-of-16 shooting performance that included 4 of 5 from 3-point distance.
“When he’s working on getting in that paint and moving the ball, he’s tough,” Red Claws Coach Scott Morrison said, “because when the defense doesn’t shrink and collapse on him, he’s good enough to finish.”
Jackson also had three assists and, as he was quick to point out, three turnovers.
“I’ve got to clean that up,” he said. “I want to keep improving every single day.”
The other Celtic playing for the Red Claws on Saturday was big man Jordan Mickey, who finished with 15 points, five rebounds and two blocks. He did his best to forget about Ainge.
“He’s there to watch you for a reason, but you should just go out there, play your game and don’t try to do too much,” Mickey said. “Do what you do best and things will happen for you.”
Abdel Nader, chosen 13 picks after Jackson, had 19 points and five assists. He also had a steal and two blocked shots and capped a 12-0 run out of intermission with a pair of three-point plays.
Like Mickey, Nader said he tried to ignore Ainge’s presence. “If you think about things like that,” Nader said, “that’s when you mess up and make mistakes.”
Aaron Thomas scored 25 points and NBA veteran Will Bynum 20 for Windy City, which cut the deficit to single digits early in the fourth quarter. Marcus Georges-Hunt responded with a floater and Jason Calliste added a 3-pointer to make it 95-81. The margin remained at least 10 the rest of the way.
“When you start knocking down shots and answering runs,” Nader said, “it shows composure and a team that’s united.”
NOTES: Red Claws guard Damion Lee, who suffered a torn ACL in his left knee at Grand Rapids on the recent three-game road trip, is out for the season. Three days after the injury, he bid adieu to his signature dreadlocks. “New Year, new me, new knee,” he said Saturday. “That’s my motto.” … Windy City, affiliated with the Chicago Bulls, is one of three new D-League franchises this season.
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