Celtics rookie R.J. Hunter made his NBA D-League debut a memorable one Thursday afternoon, scoring 28 points and handing out seven assists to lead the Maine Red Claws to a 119-112 victory over the Texas Legends before a crowd of 2,446 at the Portland Expo.

Hunter scored 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Claws (10-6) pulled away in a game that saw 12 lead changes and nine ties. It was the fourth straight victory for the Red Claws, a season high.

Jordan Mickey and Terry Rozier were the other Celtics rookies in Maine’s lineup. Mickey had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. Rozier had 15 points and 13 assists as Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge watched from courtside.

Omari Johnson and Coty Clarke also came up big for the Claws. Johnson dunked twice in the final 20 seconds after Texas pulled to within three. He finished with 23 points and seven rebounds. Clarke had 24 points and seven rebounds.

The Red Claws return to action Saturday night at the Expo against Santa Cruz.


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