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On the front-half of a back-to-back, the Boston Celtics faced off against a short-handed Phoenix Suns team, securing a commanding 97-81 victory. The Celtics weren’t at full-strength themselves, though, Jaylen Brown missing the game with a knee contusion. It was a night where the offense was dragging, but the defense picked up all the slack.
This was Boston’s 7th time holding their opponent under 100 points in their last 12 games. It was also the second lowest point total that the Celtics allowed in a game this season, the lowest being a win over Milwaukee in a game which the Bucks only scored 79 points.
Everyone in Boston has been stepping up their intensity as of late, and the man who stepped up into JB’s spot in the starting lineup against Phoenix was a huge part of that. That man was Ron Harper Jr., who, as of now, is still on a two-way contract. This was only Ron’s 24th game of his four-year career, and just his second start, both coming this year.
He certainly stepped up to the moment, bringing every bit of intensity the Celtics needed against a gritty team like Phoenix right from the tip. In the first quarter alone, Ron picked up four rebounds, all on the offensive glass. All of them were contested, too, but he simply outworked everyone else to wrangle in every loose ball.
Winning the possession game is an essential part of Joe Mazzula’s system for the Celtics, especially in games where they’re struggling offensively. As a team, Boston shot 40% from the floor against Phoenix, and 27.7% from three. Each and every rebound makes a difference in those circumstances, and Ron made that a point of emphasis in his own game.
Not only that, but he did an excellent job of “guarding his yard,” holding his matchups to just 3-12 shooting for the game. He also picked up a steal, and an emphatic chase-down block in what might have been the highlight of the night.
Jamaree Bouyea was running a 1-on-1 fastbreak for Phoenix, Baylor Scheierman the lone defender in front of the play. Baylor did an excellent job staying upright and not fouling to slow Bouyea down as he went up for a layup, and that gave Ron just enough time to catch up to the play and spike the shot against the backboard, igniting a fastbreak for Boston which resulted in a Hugo Gonzalez layup on the other end, and a Baylor-Ron dap up mid-play.
Ron finished the night with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. After the game, Coach Mazzulla was asked about what allowed him to trust Ron in these moments: ““He cares about the details. Obviously, the offensive stuff — he can make shots, he can think, he can play. But defensively, just competing, understanding the details, executing the game plan, taking pride in defense… He just loves basketball… Just another guy who — We can count on him… And he’s earning that.”
Sam Hauser shared some similar praise for Harper, saying “he makes the most of it, that’s for sure. He fits right in like nothing… And he’s a great player. He’s a great defender, and he helps us in a lot of different ways.”
Harper is still working towards a standard contract, which almost feels inevitable given his play as of late, along with the Celtics financial situation for this season. If he were to get a standard deal, he would come relatively cheap and help Boston stay under the Luxury Tax while bringing in a high-impact player. The Celtics won’t be making a standard signing for some time, though, as they try to wait as long as possible to make it a pro-rated deal that keeps some money off the books.
With Ron’s two-way status, he remains eligible to appear in all 23 of Boston’s remaining games this season, though he won’t be eligible for the playoffs unless he gets a standard deal. He’s been bringing excellent vibes both on and off the court, and would be a worthy addition to the roster, even if he doesn’t see much playing time.