The Boston Celtics faced off against the Minnesota Timberwolves for the first time this season on Saturday night, Minnesota making a timely second-half push to grab the win. This was just the third time in eleven tries they defeated Boston since Anthony Edwards entered the league.
This matchup was expected to be one of the toughest tests for Boston’s frontcourt. They’ve had to face off against Evan Mobley, Karl Anthony Towns, Alperen Sengun, and a few small stints of Joel Embiid, but Rudy Gobert usually poses a different problem altogether. Gobert is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a perennial candidate for the award. His offensive game is very limited yet incredibly efficient, currently leading the league with a field goal percentage of 72.2%. Rudy is also ninth overall in total rebounds and seventh in blocks this season.
Neemias Queta came into this game with just 23 career starts over five seasons versus Gobert’s 755 starts in 13 seasons. This is Queta’s first year in a prominent role thanks to departures from most of Boston’s frontcourt in the offseason. His experience is nothing compared to Gobert’s, but Queta had his way in their matchup.
This was Neemi’s first game back from an ankle injury he suffered just six days prior, and he put up quite a resounding performance in his return. In just under 29 minutes, Queta amassed 19 points, tying his career high, and 18 rebounds, setting a new career high. He was an efficient 7-8 from the floor (87.5%), and drew several fouls as well, shooting 5-8 from the free-throw line. On the boards, 10 of his rebounds were defensive while the other 8 came on the offensive end. He also finished the game with 2 blocks.
Gobert still had a solid night, but not of the same caliber. He was 5-6 on field goals (83.3%) and 2-3 on free-throws to score 12 points, and brought down 8 rebounds of his own. He didn’t have the defensive presence he’s usually known for, though, ending the night without a single block. It seemed like he couldn’t deter Queta or the rest of the Celtics whatsoever.
While the team wasn’t able to get the job done, Neemi’s impact was the perfect complement to Jaylen Brown’s game-high 41 points. Just as Joe Mazzulla’s season-long gameplan dictates, the Celtics won the battle on the boards and in turnovers. Boston had a 43 to 37 advantage in rebounds and committed 4 fewer turnovers than Minnesota. They also had a 16 to 9 advantage in second-chance points, and won the points-in-the-paint battle comfortably, a 50 to 34 difference. Queta had a big hand in all of the above.
Ultimately, the game came down to a more efficient night from Minnesota, topped off with some big-time shots by Edwards to seal the game. Regardless of the outcome, it’s safe to say that Neemi passed the test in front of him. He’s been trending upwards all season, and has given the Celtics a lot more stability at the center position than they were expecting to have this year. He may not have the big name to win it, but at the very least, Neemias Queta should be a contender for Most Improved Player based on the season he’s having so far.
