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BOSTON — Technically, John Tonje has performed in lots of a high-profile sport at TD Backyard. In a approach, he’s truly been doing so for years.
That’s as a result of since he was slightly child in Nebraska, Tonje has set almost all of his NBA 2K video games at TD Backyard, his favourite area within the area.
“I at all times play right here [on 2k],“ Tonje informed CelticsBlog on Sunday. ”I like enjoying right here. Rising up, my favourite area was at all times TD Backyard. I simply adore it.”
Tonje made his official (non-video sport) TD Backyard debut in late February, enjoying 5 fourth-quarter minutes in a blowout Celtics win.
However after the Celtics secured the No. 2 seed on Friday, Tonje knew he might need an opportunity to reside out that dream in full, to play rotation minutes, to make an NBA basket. The Celtics dominated out 8 gamers forward of Sunday’s regular-season finale towards the Orlando Magic. And, Tonje knew that he very effectively may have the prospect to play in entrance of a crowd that had nearly develop into legendary.
“I wakened at this time figuring out that I’m gonna have a possibility to return out right here and play and do what I like to do,” Tonje stated, “and play in an area like this.”
The 24-year-old performed a whopping half-hour within the area of his goals, and tallied 13 factors — and his first NBA bucket — en path to an inconceivable 113-108 win over the Orlando Magic. And, he did it with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, Nikola Vucevic, Payton Pritchard, and Hugo Gonzalez all sidelined.
“Hitting my first area aim, that was large,” Tonje stated, noting that his solely two NBA profession factors got here on the free throw line. “To see that precise area aim go down, which was a 3 within the nook, it was nice to see. And I used to be, like, ‘Okay, that is actual.’”
Tonje was certainly one of solely eight Celtics obtainable to play on Sunday. Of them, three (Amari Williams, Max Shulga, and Tonje) had been late 2025 second-round draft picks. Three (Jordan Walsh, Dalano Banton, and Luka Garza) had been second-round draft picks from years earlier than. One (Ron Harper Jr.) was undrafted. Baylor Scheierman, the No. 30 decide in 2024, was the one former first-rounder obtainable to play.
That didn’t cease the Celtics from pulling off what, on the surface, seemed to be one of many inconceivable wins of the NBA season.
“We anticipated to go on the market and compete and win the sport,” Scheierman stated. “I do know going into the sport, that was our expectation.”
Right here’s how they did it.
Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman set the tone for Recreation 82
Luka Garza was the top of the snake when the Celtics took the parquet on Sunday night, operating onto the court docket first for warm-ups, with Scheierman, Walsh, Harper Jr, Shulga, Williams, and Banton all trailing behind him.
Garza had been awaiting this chance, too. The 27-year-old had a lot extra NBA expertise than a rookie like Tonje, however he didn’t take with no consideration the prospect to have extra prolonged minutes than he’s had all yr. And, he took benefit, setting a career-high in scoring (27 factors) and grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds in a season-high 38 minutes.
And, earlier than tip-off, Garza made some extent of instilling confidence in his teammates.
“Luka stated it earlier than the sport, huddled up, ‘That is for all of the occasions that we’re on the bench, all of the occasions we wish a possibility, we have now an opportunity to go on the market and present it,’” stated Harper Jr.
The message resonated. Throughout layup traces, the obtainable Celtics laughed as they realized simply how short-handed they appeared.
“There was most likely, on the surface, plenty of unknowns about what was going to occur trying on the lineup,” Scheierman stated. “And we had been even joking within the locker room, popping out in layup traces and one another, like, ‘We obtained seven folks out right here?’”
However, the grittiness that has been on show all season was evident from the opening leap.
A mere eight seconds into the sport, Scheierman drew an offensive foul. On the subsequent possession, Garza hit his first three-pointer of the evening. By the top of the primary quarter, the Celtics trailed by 9 factors — nevertheless it was clear they got here prepared for battle. Harper Jr., who poured in 12 of the group’s 20 first-quarter factors, was significantly aggressive from the leap.
“We positively didn’t go into this sport considering that is like David vs. Goliath, considering we’re like final underdogs,” Harper Jr. stated. “We got here into the sport anticipating to compete, and anticipating to win.”
And, to onlookers, nothing on the Celtics’ facet appeared to point they had been overwhelmed or intimidated by the lineup on the opposite facet, a bunch of confirmed Magic gamers that included Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, and Jalen Suggs. To make issues all of the extra wild, the Magic had been vying for Play-In positioning, hoping to safe home-court benefit in Wednesday’s Play-In sport towards the Philadelphia 76ers.
But when somebody had been to activate the sport, they’d by no means guess that the Celtics had been those with nothing substantive on the road.
“We stated all of it yr, 1 to fifteen, whoever steps on the ground, there’s an expectation to place us in place with the chance to win,” stated Joe Mazzulla. “Stick with the method of successful; at this time is not any totally different than the opposite 81 video games.”
The tides drastically turned within the third quarter, when the Celtics outscored the Magic 42-20 and constructed a double-digit lead. Scheierman hit stepback threes like he was James Harden en path to a 30-point, 7-assist, 7-rebound profession evening.
After every bucket, the TD Backyard crowd exploded as if it had been a playoff sport.
“I assumed the gang was large for us tonight,” Mazzulla stated. “I feel they helped us get our third-quarter run, and I feel they stored us in it. The wonderful thing about our followers is, 1) they’re sensible – they know good basketball, 2) they care about successful. They care about enjoying the suitable approach. That’s what they need to see.”
The sport was tied with 35 seconds to go when Garza hit the go-ahead three-pointer with a hand in his face.
“I used to be like, ‘Yeet,’” Scheierman stated, laughing. “We needed to get him a 3. That’s not essentially how we had it drawn as much as get there. However yeah, rooster.”
That inconceivable shot capped off an inconceivable evening that capped off an inconceivable season.
“It was so superior,” Garza stated. “Seeing it go in, simply feeling the gang too. It was positively a high second for me.”
Almost everybody on the Celtics’ bench jumped to their ft, rejoicing the clutch basket. Tonje stated the presence of the sidelined Celtics was significantly energizing.
“It meant the whole lot to see D-White, JT, all of the older guys come up, and meet us at half court docket and dap us up and simply give us vitality,” he stated. “It was so, so nice.”
Within the background was the truth that Sunday additionally doubled because the Celtics’ Fan Appreciation Day. Earlier than the sport, Jordan Walsh thanked Celtics followers for being the perfect followers in all of sports activities.
Aftewards, Scheierman emphasised Walsh’s pregame message.
“That’s what makes Boston, typically, simply tremendous particular — the assist we get,” he stated. “You possibly can have seen the harm report final evening that stated a bunch of individuals had been going to be out, and other people may have simply not proven up, figuring out folks weren’t going to play. However the Backyard was packed, and it was rocking prefer it was a must-win sport for us. And so I feel that’s tremendous particular, and we obtained to provide plenty of credit score to our followers for coming by way of and creating that sort of ambiance.”
On Sunday evening, Ron Harper Jr’s goals had been validated
Ron Harper Jr, who started the yr with a coaching camp contract and never even the promise of a two-way, mirrored on his journey after a 27-point, 4-rebound, 3-assist, and 3-steals evening that simply so occurred to coincide along with his twenty sixth birthday.
Harper Jr. had been by way of all of it.
He went undrafted in 2021.
He bounced across the league on 4 totally different two-way contracts.
He tore his labrum in 2023.
He was waived after the Celtics’ coaching camp in 2024.
However he opted to return to Boston for a second likelihood at Celtics coaching camp in 2025, a call he hoped would repay, and one he made largely as a result of simply how a lot he took away from his first coaching camp in Boston.
“It was slightly little bit of a big gamble,” Harper Jr stated. “However even final yr, after I obtained waived off of the Exhibit-10, and I used to be within the G League, it was by no means any laborious emotions. I felt like I realized so much that coaching camp, being round a group that had simply gained a championship, these experiences, it’s unmatched. You see how these guys grind, see how they play the sport. You see how they work out. You see how they strategy the day-to-day. It’s simply one thing I attempt to take with me all through my journey.”
“The entire yr has been rewarding,” Harper Jr. “I had a terrific keep in Maine after I was there, gained Participant of the Month, me and my teammates had been capable of compete within the showcase match in Orlando. That was a terrific expertise.“
In February, Harper Jr. began his first-ever NBA sport, and the Celtics blew out the Houston Rockets on the second evening of a back-to-back. He was tasked with guarding Kevin Durant, and he, someway, outplayed the Corridor of Famer. It was that second that reiterated to him {that a} second coaching camp with Boston was the suitable name.
“Probably the most rewarding second was most likely after I began the primary sport,” he stated. “That’s one thing that I dreamed of for some time. Fascinated about the place I got here from and the way the yr was trying, I positively didn’t assume this is able to be the yr the place I begin a sport.”
Since that first begin, Harper Jr. has had a number of standout moments. There was a 22-point outburrst towards his brother, Dylan, in a sport vs San Antonio. There was a giant first quarter towards the Charlotte Hornets final month.
And, there was Sunday’s career-night, a 27 level outing by which Harper Jr. was the man spearheading the offense.
His two-way contract was transformed to a typical deal earlier in April. It was a second that was particular for Joe Mazzulla, too.
“It actually begins with him,” Mazzulla stated. “He’s executed so much for us, particularly this season — enjoying in Maine, enjoying within the Keep Prepared video games, enjoying in NBA video games, being prepared. He’s a aggressive man. It’s a testomony to who he’s, so I’m actually joyful for him.”
“I’m simply actually grateful to be within the state of affairs,” Harper Jr stated.
For John Tonje, the quiet work got here to fruition
Earlier than Sunday, Tonje had performed a complete of 12 NBA minutes in his rookie season. Joe Mazzulla stated the behind-the-scenes work with the group’s participant growth workers is what ready him.
“He hasn’t performed in an NBA sport — he’s performed in Keep Prepared video games. He’s performed in elective shoots,” Mazzulla stated. “He’s gone by way of reads – it’s the very same factor. All these issues are simply as vital.”
“The teaching workers does a tremendous job simply attempting to get us higher, put us in conditions that we’ll see within the video games,” Tonje stated. “And I feel these Keep Prepared video games are there to organize us for moments like this, and simply – hats off to the teaching workers.”
Tonje particularly credited his participant growth coach, Nana Foulland, for getting ready him mentally.
“He’s been nice,” he stated. “He’s robust on me, which is what I want. And, he doesn’t at all times have the sweetest issues to say, which is nice. He’s serving to me get higher.”
Nonetheless, there’s no strategy to really emulate the surroundings of enjoying at a packed TD Backyard.
“I’d be mendacity if I stated it and didn’t really feel totally different,” he stated with a smile.
TD Backyard was as loud because it’s been all yr — as loud because it was in Tonje’s video video games rising up.
“I do know that plenty of these guys who haven’t obtained plenty of alternative, they’re tremendous grateful for that, that they obtained a possibility to play in that sort of surroundings,” Baylor Scheierman stated.
Garza, Harper, and Scheierman led the way in which, however they didn’t do it alone. Dalano Banton, who was on a Ten-Day contract with the Celtics in February, was signed to the Celtics’ fifteenth roster spot on Saturday, and laced up a day later. He tallied 7 assists and 4 blocks in 36 minutes within the win.
Jordan Walsh posted 9 factors, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, a block, and a steal. Max Shulga earned his first profession NBA begin, ending with 3 factors and three rebounds in 18 minutes. And, Amari Williams performed 9 minutes off the bench.
None of it stunned Mazzulla, who has pressured all yr that each single participant on the roster may impression successful.
“It’s a validation of what we’ve been speaking about,” Mazzulla stated, crediting the group’s participant growth workers for placing gamers on this place. “And crucial factor is our guys, it’s very simple when you’re continuously in an elective shoot or enjoying in a Keep Prepared sport, you possibly can see as in case your job is meaningless, however they’ve to remain prepared, as a result of any second, as quickly as they step on the ground, you’re held to the identical customary. And I feel that’s what guys who’re on the court docket at this time are in search of. And so it’s extra of a validation to the workers, however actually to the locker room. And so they care about successful. They care about enjoying nice.”
As the ultimate buzzer sounded, the veterans rejoiced, dapping up almost each participant on the roster.
Jaylen Brown walked by way of the tunnel in disbelief, and nearly instantly turned to social to media to Tweet: “I like this group.”
Gamers signed as many autographs as they might. A John Tonje signature had by no means held extra weight at TD Backyard.
The web page will now flip. The Celtics will start per week of follow forward of Sunday’s playoff sport, the place the stakes will probably be increased than they’ve been all yr. Gamers like Tonje, Williams, Shulga and Banton won’t lace up for significant minutes all spring.
No matter what occurs subsequent, one factor is definite: Recreation 82 captured the magic of the 2025-2026 Celtics — a group that got here into the yr with minimal exterior expectations and was a championship contender.
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