Celtics two-way player Ron Harper Jr. has been on a tear — and a Friday night game at the Portland Expo was no exception. Harper Jr. poured in a G-League career-high 46 points for the Maine Celtics in a 113-111 win over the Delaware Blue Coats, hitting 16 of 26 shots and 7 of 14 three-pointers. Alongside his scoring explosion, he tallied 7 rebounds and a game-high 8 assists.
Harper Jr. got off to a hot start, pouring in 27 points in the first half. Late in the fourth, with the game tied at 111-111,
he hit the game-winning jumper with just over a second to play.
Ron Harper Jr. has had a scorching-hot start to the season
It’s still early, but the 25-year-old guard is currently the G-League’s leading scorer, averaging 29.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. He’s shooting 48% from the field and 36.2% from three on the season.
As one of three two-way players for the Celtics, he’s met the parent club on two road trips so far this season, and has thus far appeared in three NBA games. The former Rutgers star is currently playing on his fourth two-way contract since going undrafted in 2022 — and is on the Maine Celtics for the second consecutive year (last season, he was picked up by the Detroit Pistons for a two-way contract a few months into the G-League season).
Maine Celtics head coach Phil Pressey believes an NBA opportunity for Harper is near.
“He’s right there, right?” Pressey said. “He’s knocking on the door.”
And Joe Mazzulla was impressed by what he saw from Harper at training camp.
“He’s been great,” Mazzulla said last month. “His professionalism has been great. His basketball IQ has really improved. He’s shooting the ball really well.”
While Harper Jr. did the bulk of the damage on Friday, Jalen Bridges (17 points) and two-way player Max Shulga (17 points, 6 rebounds) also put together strong showings. Celtics two-way player Amari Williams finished with 8 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 assists. Kendall Brown added 7 points and 7 rebounds, and Hason Ward added 6 points, 4 offensive rebounds, and 2 assists in 15 minutes.
Bridges, who spent Summer League and training camp with the Celtics, secured the game-winning defensive stop with his third block of the game (and second in the final minute).
And the Maine Celtics, who began the season 0-3, have since won three consecutive games at the Portland Expo to improve to 3-3 on the season.
