With a bigger role waiting for him in Boston, Celtics big man Neemias Queta had himself a dominant debut for Portugal in his EuroBasket debut on Wednesday.
Queta was a force for Portugal as he dropped a game-high 23 points and pulled down 18 rebounds in a 12-point victory over the Czech Republic. He was an incredibly efficient 11-of-15 from the floor, which even included a three-pointer from the big man.
Queta attempted just three three-pointers over his 110 games in the NBA, all of which came last season. He didn’t connect on any of them.
But on Wednesday, Queta stepped into and drained a three for the first basket of the game — and his first triple as a professional. He scored Portugal’s first seven points of the win, but did much more than just put the ball in the basket.
Queta is the first player to put up a 20-point, 15-rebound stat line in their EuroBasket debut since 1995. In addition to his big rebound total, Queta also finished with four blocks and a pair of steals on the defensive end. He wasn’t in foul trouble at any point either, with only two fouls over his 30-plus minutes of action.
Queta’s efforts led Portugal to a 62-50 win over the Czech Republic, which was Portugal’s first EuroBasket victory since 2007. He is the only member of the Celtics taking part in FIBA’s EuroBasket tournament, and his competition is going to ramp up going forward.
Queta and Portugal will next play Nikola Jokic and Serbia, Alperen Seguin and Turkey, and old pal Kristaps Porzingis and Latvia. Those are some immensely talented big men Queta will be matching up against, but it will be good practice for the upcoming NBA season.
Celtics big men depth for 2025-26 season
Boston’s top three big men from last season either left this offseason or are expected to leave in the near future. Porzingis was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, Luke Kornet signed with the San Antonio Spurs, and Al Horford is expected to sign with the Golden State Warriors if he decides to play another season.
It has left Boston thin in the frontcourt, with Queta and newcomer Luka Garza the only true centers on the roster. Xavier Tillman can play some five in small lineups, and rookie Amari Williams will add some depth to the group, but center is a big area of concern for Boston.
Queta could very well be the team’s starting center in 2025-26. For his four-year career — split between Sacramento and Boston — the 26-year-old has averaged 4.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game over 12.2 minutes of action. He averaged a career-high 13.9 minutes per game for Boston last season, when Queta put up 5.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per contest.
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