Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

Claws end skid in Texas

The Red Claws put a halt to their six-game losing streak by beating the Legends, 113-102.

By STEVE HUNT Special to the Press Herald

FRISCO, Texas - The Maine Red Claws ended their six-game losing streak with a 113-102 win over the Texas Legends Sunday at Dr. Pepper Arena.

"Winning at this point when you haven't won in a long time is rewarding," Red Claws Coach Dave Leitao said. "You feel a sense of relief more than anything else."

Maine (5-12), which won for just the second time on the road, set a season high in points. Its previous high came in a 106-99 win over Erie on Dec. 17.

The Legends (5-12) were led by Yi Jianlian, who finished with 29 points and 13 rebounds. Jianlian, the sixth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, was making his NBA Developmental League debut after being signed by the Dallas Mavericks last week.

After trailing by as many as nine in the second quarter, the Red Claws went on a 9-0 run to tie the game at 24 with 2:28 remaining and never trailed again.

With Maine's starting center Anthony Kent in foul trouble for much of the game, Justin Brownlee -- who has spent a majority of the season as a starter -- contributed 24 points off the bench and also had five steals.

But Brownlee was not the only reserve to deliver as the Red Claws' bench outscored the Legends' 71-38.

"He has been starting up until this point," Leitao said. "He and the other group that had been starting gave us a lot of energy off the bench."

The game was tied at 36 after one quarter and Maine carried momentum into the second quarter, outscoring Texas 29-18, including an 18-5 run late for a 65-54 halftime lead.

The Red Claws also had a lot of success in their transition game, outscoring the Legends, 27-15.

"We try to do that with everybody but we were more successful today than we have been in the past few games," Leitao said.

Getting so many points on the break was a big reason his club won, but Leitao said he didn't feel it was the deciding factor.

"We were more mindful on the defensive end. It was a 36-36 first quarter and then they scored 18 in the second quarter," Leitao said. "We really turned the tide and got a double-digit lead with our defense in the second quarter. Then, we were able to maintain that lead and extend it. I felt it was more our defense than anything else."

Maine's last win was Dec. 24, 101-86 vs. Iowa.

It was the second straight year the Red Claws snapped a losing streak at Texas. Last January Maine beat the Legends 95-89 to end a five-game losing skid.

The Red Claws head to Reno, Nev., for the 2012 D-League Showcase, where they will face Sioux Falls at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

"You always feel better on a win than a loss," Leitao said. "We're going to build off of it."