PORTLAND — A simple truth, really. Take care of the basketball, and everything else will take care of itself.

And if you can force your opponent into some sloppy ball handling, then so much the better.

The Maine Red Claws provided proof of that, Sunday, during the 111-90 beating they handed by the Springfield Armor, before 3,045 at the Portland Expo.

Ball hawking Red Claws helped Springfield (5-20) commit a mind numbing 28 turnovers (Maine made just 11), although the Armor, owners of the D-League’s pooreset record, made plenty miscues on their own.

In all, Maine capitalized on turnovers to the tune of 45 points.

One doesn’t have to be a detective, or a mathematician, either, to see why Springfield is languishing in the D-League cellar.

“You (aren’t) going to win with 28 turnovers,” said Armor coach Dee Brown. “Not the way we play. That’s been our problem over the last four or five games. And they don’t come one at a time. They bunch up.”

And the bunching can be most painful, especially in the wrong spot.

The Red Claws helped see to that.

Leading by nine, 80-71, at the start of the fourth quarter, Maine later expanded its lead to 24 points, largely on the strenghth of Armor turnovers during five consecutive trips down the floor.

Maine turned every one of the miscues into points, and ultimately blew the Armor’s hopes to bits.

“We said that if we keep attacking,” said Maine coach Austin Ainge, “and keep pushing the ball, that they wouldn’t be able to run with us the whole game. We just kept going and going and going. Finally we were able to pull away.”

The first half featured three led changes, with Maine holding a slim 52-48 advantage at halftime.

Springfield never got closer than four points the rest of the way.

Point guard Russell Robinson, one of several new faces in the ever-changing Red Claws’ lineup, had 13 of his 20 points at the break.

“The game is a game of runs,” said Robinson, who arrived in town in time for Friday’s win over Erie. “We were able to force a lot of turnovers, and turn those into points. That was the difference in the game.”

Forward Trey Gilder and center Paul Davis also hit for 20 points each, while Springfield’s Morris Almond, the D-League’s top scorer, led all point-getters with 22 points.

AIR BALLS: Davis, late of the NBA’s Washington Bullets is the newest of the new Red Claws.

A 6-11 center, Davis, 25, was a 2006 2nd round pick (34th overall) of the Los Angeles Clippers, spending three seasons with LA before signing with the Wizards this season. He appeared in two games with Washington before being waived on Nov. 11. A standout in high school who was named Michigan’s Mr. Basketball in 2002 and was also named a McDonald’s and Parade Magazine All-American, Davis played four seasons for Michigan State where the Spartans advanced to the Final Four his junior season.

— Contact Staff Writer Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com.