A February 4th game between the Celtics and the Houston Rockets served as an inflection point in Harper’s season; he started for the first time in his career, guarded Rockets star Kevin Durant, and showed himself — and the world — he belonged. It’s a game that Joe Mazzulla has pointed to as well in that it showcased Harper’s readiness and preparation. “The first time I really played meaningful minutes was when I started in Houston, and that kind of came to be because of the Anfernee trade, and it happened all really fast,” Harper said. “But I feel like after that game where I started and I played all those minutes, and I played well, I felt like after that point I felt like I’d be a real contributor to this team and a part of bringing this team back to the championship. So, that’s something I look forward to doing next year.”
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: “But I feel like after that game where I started and I …
