BOSTON — Nothing went right for the Boston Celtics at the start of Sunday night's game. Nothing.
As the Philadelphia 76ers got into a flow, the Celtics were left fighting for scraps on the offensive glass, desperately trying to string together successful possessions. In the first quarter alone, Boston grabbed seven offensive rebounds, tallying 13 second-chance points. Without Boston's incessant hustle, Philadelphia could have jumped out to a huge early lead.
Despite shooting just 8-of-26 (30.8%) from the field and 3-of-13 (23.1%) from deep range, the Celtics were only down two (28-26) after the first frame.
Then, Neemias Queta happened.
It was a blur. The Portuguese behemoth was everywhere.
He ran the pick-and-roll beautifully with Derrick White, crashed for offensive rebounds (he had seven in the first half alone), and put the ball on the ground, slicing through defenders with ease.
By the time Queta subbed out with 5:32 to go in the second, had played just 13:42, but his stat line was incredible.
Queta had 16 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. Philadelphia had no answer for him.
Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe led the 76ers' scoring attack, but it wasn't enough to keep up with the Celtics once they got their momentum rolling.
Queta's dominant second quarter lit a fire under Boston, and everything fell into place.
Jaylen Brown played a beautiful two-way game. He made the right read time after time, dishing to open teammates when Philadelphia doubled him and taking the space to score when they didn't.
Meanwhile, Baylor Scheierman, who is playing through a fracture in his left hand, was all over the place. His three-ball wasn't falling (except for a halftime buzzer-beater), but his hustle was ever-present.
Scheierman battled on the glass, checked Maxey on defense, and was key to igniting Boston's fastbreaks, as he consistently took the ball and ran after grabbing a defensive rebound.
The third quarter was less pretty for Boston. Philadelphia won the period 33-27, and the Celtics' four turnovers led to seven Sixers points.
Boston's struggles continued into the fourth. Their offense couldn't find a rhythm, and Maxey went nuclear. Whether it was threes, layups, or transition opportunities, he found a way to put the ball in the basket. The Celtics couldn't handle his speed.
Then, Queta happened again.
It was a small, fleeting moment, but as the Celtics' offense was reeling late in the fourth, Queta got the ball in a post-up with