PORTLAND, Maine (Interstat) — In a high-octane G League shootout, the Maine Celtics used a dominant second quarter to overcome an early deficit and defeat the Long Island Nets 127-116 on Saturday night at the Portland Exposition Building.

The game was a tale of two halves, with the Nets controlling the early action before the Celtics seized momentum for good before the break. Long Island started strong, outpacing Maine 33-26 in the opening period. However, the Celtics exploded in the second quarter, outscoring the Nets 37-27 to take a 63-60 lead into halftime, a advantage they would not relinquish.

Maine’s victory was fueled by a blistering shooting performance from beyond the arc. The Celtics connected on 19 of their 44 three-point attempts, a 43.2 percent success rate that proved to be the decisive factor. Long Island, by contrast, managed just 11 made threes on 37 attempts, shooting 29.7 percent from deep.

Ron Harper led all scorers for the Celtics, pouring in 31 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists. He was complemented by a strong performance from Kendall Brown of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, who added 24 points and seven rebounds. The Maine offense was a model of efficiency, posting an offensive rating of 123.2 by scoring 127 points on 103 possessions.

Despite the loss, Long Island received a standout performance from center Danny Wolf, who scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Jeenathan Williams also contributed 24 points and eight rebounds for the Nets. Point guard Yuri Collins facilitated the offense with 11 assists.

The teams were remarkably even in several statistical categories. Both squads committed 22 turnovers and 21 personal fouls. Each team also registered four blocks. Maine held a slight edge in rebounds, 47 to 43, and assists, 15 to 10. The Celtics also forced 15 steals compared to the Nets’ 10.

The win improves Maine’s season record to 2-3, while Long Island falls to 1-3. The two teams had just met the previous night, with the Celtics also securing a victory, 116-92.

The game defied the pre-game projections from Interstat, which had given Maine an 81.2 percent probability to win but had simulated a final score of Long Island 121, Maine 100.

Long Island looks to rebound when it hosts Greensboro on November 22. Maine’s next contest is a home game against Delaware on November 21.