Boston Celtics two way players Tacko Fall and Tremont Waters returned to action Thursday night by leading the Maine Red Claws to a 119-100 win over the College Park Skyhawks.
It was only Sunday that Fall was the mountain Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon climbed only to find the NBA’s 2020 Dunk Contest was not to be his despite leaping over the 7-foot-5 center.
Thursday, the Senegalese fan sensation was back to being the one doing the dunking, this time on the G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks.
However, what really caught people’s attention were the new wrinkles in Fall’s game. An outlet pass, a steal — even a dribble drive.
As teams have developed strategies for coping with the UCF product’s absurd reach and height, Fall has responded with new moves of his own, and scored 14 points, 18 rebounds and 5 blocked shots as a result.
“Teams are starting to double me every time I touch the ball, so this is something that I’m trying to work on,” Fall explained to the Portland Press Herald’s Glenn Jordan. “There were a few times I did kind of a retreat dribble so they can come, and I can throw it out to whoever is open.”
Fall wasn’t the only Celtic playing for the Red Claws who had a strong outing — LS product Tremont Waters scored 18 points, 8 boards and dished 7 assists in the win — the fifth in six games for the 25-9 Red Claws.
The LSU product credited his vertically-gifted teammate for helping energize the team, the Claws feeding off crowd energy on many nights.
“The excitement for Tacko gives our team a boost … We go out there and have a pretty big crowd so we’re able to get momentum when we make a great play.”
The win came against former Celtic R.J. Hunter, who had 7 points, 5 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals for the Skyhawks.
The Claws next face the Raptors 905 — the developmental team of the eponymous NBA franchise — on Saturday, Feb.22 at 2pm ET at the Paramount Fine Foods Center in Mississauga, Ontario.
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