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LOS ANGELES -- DeShawn Sims of the Maine Red Claws came off the bench to chip in 20 points and help the East edge the West in the NBA D-League All-Star game Saturday on Jam Sessions' Center Court at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Sims, Maine's lone representation, generated a game-high 10 field goals (matched only by teammate Courtney Sims, who earned MVP honors in scoring 25 points). DeShawn Sims added six rebounds and a block over 20:26.

It was DeShawn Sims' driving layup with 8:06 to play that gave the East back the lead and they never relinquished. DeShawn Sims added another pair of bunnies as the lead ballooned to double figures over the next four minutes.

For Maine, Boston's D-League affiliate, Sims is averaging a team highs at 18 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in 33 appearances (30 starts). Sims spent time with Boston's summer league squad in Orlando before initially signing to play overseas in Greece this season. When he returned home, the Michigan product got swooped up by Maine in the available player pool.

There were a couple familiar faces on the West squad at the D-League All-Star game, including starters Jeff Adrien (UConn product chipped in six points, six rebounds) and Orien Greene (former second-round pick of the Celtics in 2005 generated five points and eight assists).

Also, Marcus Landry, who had a cup of coffee with the Celtics last season after being acquired with Nate Robinson in the Eddie House swap, scored 18 points off the bench for the West.

Maine Red Claws forward DeShawn Sims earned a spot in the fifth annual NBA D-League All-Star Game, which will be held in conjunction with the NBA's All-Star festivities later this month in Los Angeles.

“DeShawn Sims has been a terrific player for us from the first day he arrived,” said Red Claws president and general manager Jon Jennings. “He earned his way to the NBA D-League All-Star Game, and I am sure this is just the beginning of great things to come for him. DeShawn Sims is a player NBA teams are keeping a close eye on, and he is a leading candidate for the NBA D-League Rookie of the Year.”

Sims, who played for the Celtics' summer league squad after going undrafted out of Michigan, is averaging 18.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in 27 appearances (24 starts) for Maine. Sims began the year with PAOK Thessaloniki in Greece, but returned stateside and was swooped up by the Claws in the available player pool.

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On a week they welcomed back one of their parent club's former stars, the Maine Red Claws mimicked the Boston Celtics a bit, putting together a three-game win streak that featured a pair of victories over Antoine Walker and the Idaho Stampede.

--WEEK IN REVIEW--

Thursday, Dec. 16: Claws 105, Stampede 99: On the night Walker returned to New England (dropping 25 points over 33 minutes in the process), the Red Claws shot 51.4 percent from the floor, put six of nine scorers in double digits (including a double-double from DeShawn Sims, who registered 24 points and 17 rebounds) and ended a two-game skid.

Friday, Dec. 17: Claws 117, Armor 112: Maine withstood a feverish fourth-quarter rally that saw the Armor temporarily pull ahead, but dug in for a gritty victory that evened the season series between the two territorial rivals at two games apiece. Sims again provided the offensive punch, scoring a team-high 25 points to go along with eight rebounds, while Tiny Gallon chipped in 19 points and seven boards. JamesOn Curry scored a game-high 38 points for Springfield.

Sunday, Dec. 19: Claws 100, Stampede 98 (OT): Jamar Smith's 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds remaining in regulation forced an extra session, where Gallon produced six of his team's eight points, including a winning fadeaway with 2.6 seconds to play. Gallon paced the Red Claws with 17 points, while Mario West added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds (to go along with four assists and two blocks). The Claws connected on 12-of-24 3-pointers, with Smitih and Chamberlain Oguchi providing three apiece (highlights embedded below).



--EYES ON FAMILIAR FACES--

Tiny Gallon (6-9 forward, affiliated) -- After sitting out Maine's road trip last weekend, Gallon returned to to average 17.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during the three wins. Season stats: 16.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.0 apg.

Jamar Smith (6-3 guard, affiliated) -- Smith connected on 13 of 22 attempts (59 percent) of his shots, while averaging 12.3 points per game in three wins. What's more, he connected on 7 of 14 3-pointers. Season stats: 13.2 ppg, 5.3 apg, 3 rpg.

Mario West (6-5 guard, camp cut) -- Maine's Swiss Army knife continues to provide a little bit of everything, averaging 10.6 points, 7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game over the weekend. Season stats: 10.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.3 apg.

DeShawn Sims (6-8 forward, summer league) -- After a little lull, Sims is thriving again, putting up back-to-back monster efforts to start the weekend (he did go cold Sunday, connecting on just 3-of-12 shots for nine points and eight rebounds). Season stats: 15.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.1 apg.

Matt Janning (6-4 guard, summer league) -- Janning continues to log quality minutes off the bench, but didn't reach double figures in scoring all weekend. He connected on 6 of 17 shots (35.3 percent), including 4 of 8 3-pointers. Season stats: 6.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.5 apg.

--WHAT'S ON TAP--

The Red Claws trek to Iowa on Thursday for a pre-Christmas clash with the surging Energy (9-3, best record in the D-League). Maine then returns home to host Springfield Sunday at 5 p.m. ... For those in Maine, the Claws (including Gallon, Sims, and Matt Janning) will be ringing bells with the Salvation Army at the Maine Mall from 4-8 p.m.

The Maine Red Claws added another player with Celtics ties Wednesday, bringing in DeShawn Sims, the Michigan product who played for Boston during the Orlando summer league.

Sims had been invited to Celtics' training camp in late July, but ended up signing with a team in Greece. He's back stateside and hoping to work his way to the NBA via the D-League.

The Red Claws now boast a handful of players with Boston ties with Jamar Smith and Tiny Gallon two of three assigned players (final camp cuts that shuttled to Boston's minor league affiliate after agreeing to D-League deals; the other, Stephane Lasme, is recovering from foot surgery). Mario West, another camp cut, ended up back in Maine after spending time there at the end of the 2009-10 season. Maine coach Austin Ainge, the son of Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, also coached Boston's summer league team in Orlando. The ties between the parent club and D-League squad can only be beneficial to both sides.

To make room for Sims, the team waived Lamonte Ullmer. Here's more on Sims from the Claws:

Sims, 22, joins the Red Claws from PAOK Thessaloniki (Greece), where he averaged 12.3 points per game in three games played this season. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward out of the University of Michigan, signed with PAOK Thessaloniki after playing for the Boston Celtics during the NBA Summer League in Orlando and the Dallas Mavericks in Las Vegas. As a senior at Michigan, he averaged 16.8 points and 7.6 rebounds.

DeShawn Sims, an undrafted forward who competed for the Celtics' summer league squad and received a training camp invite, has signed a professional contract with the POAK basketball club in Greece, according to the team's website.

Sims, a 6-foot-8 Michigan product looking to make the move to the perimeter with the Celtics, likely realized that Boston's roster was quickly filling up and couldn't pass up a payday to stay stateside and compete for a job on a veteran-laden roster.

Sims averaged 16.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in his senior year with the Wolverines. With the Celtics, he chipped in 7.5 points per game in four summer appearances in Orlando. He also played for the Dallas Mavericks in the Las Vegas Summer League.

(h/t: ShamSports)

Add DeShawn Sims to the youngsters who have been extended invites to Celtics' training camp in October. From the Ann Arbor News:

Former Michigan basketball forward DeShawn Sims is heading to camp.

"I got invited to Celtics training camp," Sims said in a text message Tuesday.

It is the latest stop on Sims' attempt to find a professional home after not being selected in June's two-round NBA Draft.

The 6-foot-8 Sims played on two summer league teams last month -- with Boston in Orlando and then with Dallas in Las Vegas. He played better with the Celtics, averaging 7.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in 13.3 minutes over four games.

Sims showed some nice potential as a wing player in Orlando after spending much of his college career under the basket. Given Boston's current lack of depth at that spot, training with the Celtics could be a nice opportunity for him.

Sims will be vying for a roster spot with summer teammates Oliver Lafayette and Tony Gaffney, a pair with non-guaranteed deals after signing on the final day of the regular season last year. Northeastern's Matt Janning has also been extended a camp invite by the Green, but said at the Las Vegas summer league that he was weighing his options before committing.