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Celtics' Max Shulga Makes History by Scoring in NBA and G League on Same Day
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- Celtics' Max Shulga Makes History by Scoring in NBA and G League on Same Day
Joe Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics have defied expectations this season. With preseason over/under odds of 41.5 wins, many believed the Celtics season would be lost without superstar Jayson Tatum . Boston has exceeded those early-season predictions in droves, standing at the top of the Atlantic Division with a 47-24 record.
The Celtics have been led this season by their star Jaylen Brown . The All-NBA guard stepped up his play without his partner Tatum, averaging per game career highs in points at 28.5, assists at 5.1, rebounds at 7.0 and free-throw percentage at 80.0%. Guard Derrick White has been a major contributor as well, averaging a team high in assists per game at 5.5, steals per game at 1.2 and blocks per game at 1.4.
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Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7)© Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Max Shulga is a Celtic guard who was drafted No. 57 overall by the Orlando Magic in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft, where his rights were immediately sent to Boston. After starting his college career with the Utah State Aggies, he followed his head coach Ryan Odom by transferring to the VCU Rams. The 6-foot-4 guard excelled in Richmond, averaging 15 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.
Shulga has seen limited minutes so far in his NBA career, only attempting two career NBA shots ahead of Sunday's game. He has bounced back and forth between the NBA and the G league this season, averaging 15.8 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game and 6.8 assists per game for the Maine Celtics.
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Sunday was a busy day for Shulga. He first appeared for the G League Celtics in a 121-91 win over the Cleveland Charge. The Ukrainian-born athlete played 28 minutes, contributing 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. Later that day, Shulga appeared for the Celtics, but this time the NBA version, in a 102-92 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves . Although he notably scored his first NBA bucket in the game, it was a different accomplishment that made history that day.
The Celtics have an illustrious franchise history. With legends like Bill Russell and Larry Bird and an NBA-leading 18 titles, etching your name into franchise history is no small feat. With his dual appearances in both the G League and the NBA on Sunday, Shulga made his way into the Boston record books. The Celtics congratulated Max in a social media post.
"Congrats Max on your first NBA bucket👏" the Celtics posted on X. "Max is the first player in franchise history to score for both Boston and @MaineCeltics on the same day"
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Boston will play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Related: Celtics Announce Derrick White Honor Before Hornets Game
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
