Celtics Praise Neemias Queta’s Stellar Performance Against Bucks

Neemias Queta finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. He shot 8-of-11 from the field.

By the end of the first period, Queta had 13 points, five rebounds and three blocks. The Celtics led 43-26 and never trailed.

Queta’s impact on offense and defense

Celtics voiced praise for Neemias Queta following his stellar performance against the Bucks. Teammates noted his reliable scoring and rim protection.

Queta has increasingly become a dependable safety valve on offense. He often benefits when defenses focus elsewhere.

Player and front-office reactions

Jayson Tatum celebrated Queta’s growth. He said the center sees the game better and can be trusted in seam passes and finishes.

Brad Stevens said the organization always believed in Queta. The former two-way player earned the team’s growing trust this season.

Coaching, praise and awards talk

Coach Joe Mazzulla downplayed the Coach of the Year conversation. He said the focus should remain on players and staff.

Payton Pritchard disagreed with Mazzulla’s dismissal. Pritchard, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, said Mazzulla deserves the honor.

Across the league, Mazzulla and Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff are viewed as top candidates for Coach of the Year. Pritchard praised Mazzulla’s willingness to change film sessions and teaching methods.

Recent games and defensive takeaways

The Celtics posted blowout wins over Miami and Milwaukee in consecutive games. Both victories included surprising opponent shooting numbers.

• Beat Miami 147-129 while Miami hit 24 of 47 three-pointers (51.1 percent).
• Beat Milwaukee by 32 points even though the Bucks shot 21 of 47 from deep (44.7 percent).

Boston had been 0-6 when opponents shot at least 43.5 percent from three. The team limited transition opportunities and offensive rebounds.

Mazzulla pointed out that Milwaukee scored only 101 points. He said limiting other damage mattered more than contesting every shot.

Injury update

Nikola Vucevic has been out since he broke his right ring finger. The injury occurred in Boston’s March 6 win over the Mavericks.

Vucevic was upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s home game against Toronto. The team will monitor his status before tipoff.

Reported by Adam Himmelsbach at Filmogaz.com.