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Sixers Head Coach Makes Shock Admission Over Celtics' Neemias Queta originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Neemias Queta was the best player on the floor as the Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 114-98 on Sunday, March 1. The rim-running big man ended the night with 27 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks. Queta consistently found ways to score against the Sixers, be it put-back buckets, driving the lane or attacking the seams as a cutter.
During his postgame news conference, Sixers’ head coach Nick Nurse gave an honest assessment of Queta’s performance, admitting that his athleticism gave him an edge over Philadelphia’s front court.
“He just seemed a little too quick and athletic for us tonight, too big or something,” Nurse said. “He just seemed like every time we'd make a miss, he seemed to be down there reaching up above all the other hands and pulling it down and keeping it alive. He was really hard to handle tonight for sure.”
Queta has steadily improved his game this season, after being moved into the starting lineup following the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet via trade and free agency, respectively. Even the addition of Nikola Vucevic, who also had a strong showing against Philadelphia, hasn’t displaced Queta from his role in the starting unit.
The fact that Boston’s center rotation was so dominant against the Sixers is an encouraging sign. During the opening months of the 2025-26 season, the big man rotation was seen as a serious weak point in the roster construction. Now, it’s no longer an area of concern.
If Queta continues to produce at the level we saw from him on Sunday, he will have a sizeable role to play in the upcoming postseason. Queta has proven himself to be a starting-caliber big man, and with just one season left on his three-year $7 million deal, a payday might be right around the corner.
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