Justin Harper in France: In Strasbourg IG Victory, Orlando Magic Rookie's Struggles Continue

Orlando Magic rookie Justin Harper struggled in his third outing with Strasbourg, the French club with which he signed for the duration of the NBA lockout, on Saturday night in its 78-69 victory over Le Havre. In a season-high 30 minutes, the lanky combo forward tallied season-worsts in rebounds (five), turnovers (three), and free-throw attempts (zero) while shooting just 4-of-10 from the floor for 10 points. Harper stands among the five Strasbourg players who scored in double-figures, and Maxime Zianveni led the lay with 19 points off the bench. Strasbourg overcame a strong effort from Le Havre's Ian Mahinmi, also of the Dallas Mavericks, who scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

One can find positives in Harper's performance, however: his 2-of-5 mark on three-pointers is by far his best of the season, and he recovered from an abysmal 4-of-13 shooting night in his second game. Harper's averages stand at 10.7 points and 7 rebounds per game on 38.7 percent shooting.

Strasbourg improved to 2-1 with the victory and moved into an eight-way tie for second place in the Pro A division of the Ligue Nationale de Basketball. Harper and his Strasbourg teammates next take the floor this Saturday, October 29th, against Orleans.

For a detailed look at Justin Harper's European statistics, as well as a game log, please visit this page on Orlando Pinstriped Post.