The Celtics have gotten plenty of surprise boosts this season up-and-down their roster. On Wednesday night against the Rockets, a new name entered the fold.
Two-way forward Ron Harper Jr. got his first career start with Boston and played a gem in helping an undermanned Celtics squad beat the Rockets on the road. Harper Jr. finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists in the victory that included some terrific defense on Houston star Kevin Durant in a 114-93 blowout win.
“This morning, team meeting,” Harper Jr. told reporters in Houston about when he found out about his start. “My name was up there on the matchup so I knew I was getting the start and knew I had to be ready.”
With Jaylen Brown (hamstring) and Sam Hauser (thumb) sidelined, Joe Mazzulla looked deep into his bench to give Harper Jr. a big opportunity in his 19th career NBA game. The 6-foot-5 wing was up to the task, though, as he helped to limit the Rockets offense all night by being physical with Kevin Durant. The Rockets star finished with just 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting, while Harper Jr. shot an efficient 50 percent from the field and knocked down 3-of-7 3-point attempts.
“That felt rewarding,” Harper Jr. said. “Joe makes a heavy emphasis that everybody’s gonna get their shot, so stay ready and be ready. I felt like I did a good job of that tonight.”
Harper Jr. is one of a long line of wings that have emerged as contributors for Boston this season. Baylor Scheierman posted a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) as he got another spot start, while Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez and Josh Minott have all had their moments too in what is suddenly a very deep Celtics wing depth chart. Harper Jr. is a seasoned two-way player in his fourth NBA season but looked like he belonged in a career night while playing 33 minutes.
The Celtics still have an open roster spot that will likely be filled before the regular season ends. Boston may ultimately turn to the buyout market to fill that opening, but Harper Jr. suddenly seems like a candidate to fill that spot after his breakout performance on Wednesday night.