John Tonje is starting to get comfortable in the NBA and in the G-League. He's bounced around this season with different teams and different contracts, but he finally showed the confidence and scoring ability that Wisconsin fans know so well. He went explosive for the Maine Celtics after being relegated back to the G-League after spending some time with the Boston Celtics. He scored 42 points with eight three-pointers made.
He led both teams in scoring and helped the Maine Celtics pull off the 119-112 win over the Osceola Magic. It wasn't just his scoring touch that showed; he's finally coming into his own in the NBA. He also added seven rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
He scored 24 of his points from behind the arc, added six more from the free-throw line, and 12 more came from attacking the basket. He was really getting it all going for the Celtics and looked like the Tonje that came out of Wisconsin. A guy who knows how to take over a game and score seemingly at will, and does it from every level.
John Tonje was EXPLOSIVE tonight for the @MaineCeltics in their win against the Magic! The @celtics two-way scored a career-high 42 points with EIGHT 3-pointers made. 🔥👏 pic.twitter.com/nbawNl02GN
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 11, 2026
John Tonje had the best night of his NBA G-League career in a 42 point showing
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Tonje has shown incredible skill since being traded over to the Celtics from the Utah Jazz. He's only appeared in five games for the Maine Celtics but is averaging 22.6 points a game, with his lowest output being eight points and his highest being the newly acquired 42 points. He started his journey with Maine by dropping two 25+ games in a row.
He has clearly shown enough to have the Boston Celtics interested, as he went from a two-way contract with the Jazz to the Celtics. They signed him to a 10-day deal to save on luxury tax, and the concern with those deals is that players often get cut after the deal ends. The Celtics instead quickly signed him to another two-way contract, and now he's tearing up the G-League, waiting for another opportunity to help Boston.