Name it the Neemias Queta Sport.
The Celtics heart, whose ascent from fourth-stringer to impression starter has been instrumental to Boston’s success this season, delivered the most effective efficiency of his profession Sunday night time to energy his crew to a 114-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Backyard.
Queta completed with a career-high 27 factors, 16 rebounds, three blocks and one steal in 27 minutes. A lot of his manufacturing got here throughout a sensational first half, which ranked among the many finest by an NBA massive man this season, however Queta additionally scored eight factors within the last 2:56 of regulation to stifle a Sixers comeback bid.
He shot 10-for-14 from the sector and 7-for-10 from the foul line, and 10 of his rebounds have been of the offensive selection, headlining a dominant night time on the boards for Boston. The Celtics outrebounded the 76ers 58-37 and owned a 19-10 edge on the offensive glass.
Queta’s veteran understudy, Nikola Vucevic, posted an 11-point, 12-rebound, one-block double-double within the win. Jaylen Brown flirted with a triple-double (27 factors, eight rebounds, eight assists in 38 minutes), and Derrick White scored 21 with 5 3-pointers, including two blocks and two steals.
The Celtics gained by double figures regardless of a scoreless 27 minutes from Payton Pritchard, who went 0-for-4 in his first zero-point outing since final January.
Tyrese Maxey scored 33 factors for Philadelphia however went simply 12-for-34. His backcourt sidekick, VJ Edgecombe, was equally inefficient, scoring 23 factors on 8-of-21. The Sixers performed with out injured heart Joel Embiid (indirect) and suspended wing Paul George.
It was the primary assembly between the Atlantic Division rivals since Nov. 11, and their final one scheduled this season. Philadelphia is a possible first-round playoff opponent for Boston, nonetheless. The groups entered Sunday because the No. 2 and 6 seeds within the Jap Convention.
Their first three matchups have been determined by a complete of 4 factors, with the Sixers successful two and C’s taking one.
The 40-20 Celtics will go to Milwaukee on Monday within the second finish of a back-to-back.
Baylor Scheierman, a constant difference-maker since becoming a member of Boston’s beginning lineup full-time in early February, performed by way of a fractured left thumb he suffered throughout Friday’s 148-111 win over Brooklyn. The fracture was on Scheierman’s capturing hand, and he wore a splint to guard it.
The second-year wing mentioned pregame that he felt “ok to be on the market,” however with just a few notable exceptions (extra on these beneath), he struggled to seek out his outdoors shot. Scheierman missed his first three 3-pointers and completed 2-for-9 from distance.
Scheierman did have an early offensive rebound that led to a lob dunk for Queta. Offensive boards sustained the Celtics’ offense throughout an erratic first quarter, throughout which they shot 3-for-13 from three however scored 13 second-chance factors.
Queta spearheaded that effort with 5 OREBs within the opening interval, together with one which arrange Jordan Walsh for a 3-pointer. That got here throughout an 11-1 Celtics run that erased a 10-point Sixers benefit.
The Boston massive man then one-upped himself throughout a dominant two-minute stretch early within the second quarter. Queta stole an Andre Drummond cross and slammed house a two-handed dunk on the different finish. Thirty-two seconds later, he obtained a cross from Derrick White on the foul line, dribbled as soon as and completed an up-and-under layup between two Philly defenders.
Queta then grabbed a one-handed rebound off a missed Walsh three and laid it in. He adopted that up by splitting two Sixers for one more athletic layup, punctuating a quick break sparked by a Pritchard steal. These sorts of at-the-rim finishes — each of which drew spirited reactions from the Boston bench — weren’t in Queta’s repertoire final season.
All informed, Queta scored eight straight Celtics factors. When he checked out simply previous the halfway level of the second quarter, the Backyard crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Queta’s first-half stat line (16-12-2 with seven offensive rebounds and two blocks) has been matched simply twice within the play-by-play period (since 1996-97), most lately by Kevin Garnett in a 2003 sport towards Golden State.
Brown scored or assisted on the Celtics’ last 5 baskets of the half (and added a technical free throw after 76ers heart Andre Drummond was T’d up whereas celebrating a uncommon 3-pointer). As time wound down, Boston’s All-Star muscled his means into the paint, drew the eye of Edgecombe and Maxey, and zipped a cross to an open Scheierman, who buried a buzzer-beating three in entrance of the Celtics bench.
Scheierman’s celebration: naturally, a thumbs-up. His triple despatched Boston into halftime with a 62-50 lead.
BUZZER BEATER BAYLOR 🚨
Took a web page out of the Payton playbook pic.twitter.com/aMGnY9MHOj
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 2, 2026
Third-quarter 3-pointers by Brown, White, Vucevic and White once more, plus a pair of midrange Scheierman jumpers and a Queta dunk, stretched the Celtics’ result in 80-65. However the Sixers responded with an 8-0 run to get again to inside single digits. Boston led 89-83 getting into the fourth.
A robust rim contest by Vucevic, adopted by a second-chance 3-pointer from Boston’s backup massive man, made it a 10-point sport. A Brown three put Boston up 103-92 with 6:26 to play.
The Celtics then squandered an opportunity to pad their lead after Kelly Oubre Jr. was known as for a flagrant 1 foul towards Queta. The latter missed one among his two free throws, and Pritchard turned the ball over on the following possession. Quentin Grimes capitalized with a jumper, Brown was whistled for an offensive foul and Maxey drove for a layup that lower it to 103-97.
Queta then put the Sixers away along with his late scoring binge, which included back-to-back putbacks. Scheierman, who performed aggressive protection towards Maxey, sealed the win with a nook three within the last minute.
