The Celtics got their best performance of the playoffs out of Neemias Queta on Tuesday night in Game 5. He resembled the Neemy we’ve seen all season and come to love and trust, as he was flying around, pulling down rebounds, slamming home finishes around the rim, and swatting shots.
Most promising of all, to start the game, Queta was able to stay on the floor for the first nine minutes of the game without committing a foul. That’s what the Cs need out of him, but this was the first playoff stint where he has shown an ability to actually pull it off.
Unfortunately, that didn’t last as Queta came in for a second stint in the second quarter and was called for three fouls in under five minutes, forcing him to sit the final seconds of the half. Then, the trouble really started after halftime, with the Celtics up 13, Neemy committed his fourth foul, and had to come out of the game early in the third quarter.
And that’s when everything went off the rails for Boston. Queta had been anchoring the defense and doing an excellent job of keeping Joel Embiid in check. But when he picked up his fourth foul, Nikola Vucevic was summoned from the bench early in the third quarter, and Embiid went to work.
Embiid destroyed Vucevic in the third quarter
He scored 10 points on Vooch in just over three minutes, mostly on dunks and layups, absolutely working him in the post. Joel got into a great rhythm, the Sixers got right back in the game, and the momentum never stopped.
By the time Queta came back in, Embiid had flames shooting out of him, in the best groove we’ve seen in a long time. Neemy did a much better job, staying in front of Joel and making him work, but by that point, he was locked in and burying midrange jumpers left and right.
With Embiid locked in, the Sixers seized control of the game and started pouring it on, with the Celtics unable to respond. Joel finished with 33 points and 8 rebounds, but it was the third quarter when he really started imposing his will and commandeered the game.
This was, realistically, the only path back into the series for the 76ers, and thanks to Neemy’s inability to stay out of foul trouble, the Celtics gifted the Sixers life. They now have hope, life, belief, and a real sense of confidence and momentum with their best player suddenly feeling himself.
The Celtics should still be able to rebound and pull out this series, but they have a real problem at the center position, and if Queta can’t find a way to stay on the court, this could be the team’s undoing in these playoffs.