Capitalizing on a tenacious full-court press, the Celtics outlasted the Heat in a defensive battle to win the Minor League Basketball Championship at Palisades Recreation Center, 28-20. Trailing 10-9 at halftime, the Heat took a six-point lead in the third quarter, buoyed by a fast break basket, a foul shot and two shots inside the key. But then the Celtics defense buckled down and its press caused turnovers. Celtics point guard Robert Power scored 11 of his game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer with 1:56 to play that sealed the win. Celtics posts Kenny Minchin and Alexander Hurley each had multiple rebounds and steals and played stout defense to create scores. Teammate Adel Dibaei was the game’s second leading scorer with 9 points, while Tommy Ling scored on a spinning 360-degree shot for the final Celtics basket. The Heat (11-2) were led by Nic Krekorian, William Liner, Matthew Liner and Brent Smith, who each scored four points. The Celtics finished at 12-1, and coach Terry Power couldn’t have been prouder the season: ‘Our kids really worked hard on man-to-man defense all season long. I told the kids that if they put in the effort good things would happen. ’All our kids made big plays in this game. It was a team effort all the way. The Heat was a good team. Our kids really came through.’ League coordinator Keith Rice was also impressed with both teams in the final, not to mention the season as a whole. ’It was exciting to see such a great turnout in the Palisades for our leagues this winter season,’ he said. ‘We had 120 players in the Minor (ages 9-10) division alone. Hats off to our volunteer coaches because they are truly the ones who make our programs a success. The season was filled with close games and a large audience in the stands. This shows the L.A. Department of Recreation and Parks’ role in bringing the Palisades community together to create a great sports program.’
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