The Boston Celtics produced one their most efficient 3-point shooting nights of the season Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers. And a lot of the credit should go to … 7-foot center Neemias Queta?
Queta didn’t hoist a single triple, but he used his large frame to generate quality looks for his teammates. Queta was credited with eight screen assists leading to 21 points as the Celtics built a big cushion then held on for a 121-118 triumph over the Clippers at TD Garden.
A screen assist is defined as any screen that directly leads to a basket by the player who received the screen. The NBA has been tracking screen assists as part of its hustle stats package for about a decade, and Queta’s numbers in Sunday’s game were off the charts.
Queta ranks fourth in the NBA while averaging 3.9 screen assists per game. He sits fifth in the league while generating 9.2 screen assist points per game. His totals on Sunday more than doubled his average output.
After Queta’s big screening game — and Luka Garza’s relentless screening off the bench — the Celtics now lead the NBA in screen assist points per game (23.7). Boston is tied with Utah atop the league while generating 9.9 screen assists per game.
Queta set a tone early Sunday when he slowed James Harden just enough for Payton Pritchard to knock down the first of his eight 3-pointers from the right wing. Queta also freed up Derrick White for a pair of straightaway triples midway through the first frame as Boston built its lead to as many as 24 points in the first half.
Queta chipped in 14 points on 7-of-16 shooting while grabbing nine rebounds (six on the offensive glass) and finished +16 in 33 minutes, 28 seconds of floor time.
Elevating to a starting role this season, Queta has been a monster positive for the Celtics each time he touches the floor. He is second on the team among regulars with a net rating of +18.2 in 344 minutes of floor time. That number plummets to minus-7.9 in Queta’s 328 minutes on the bench.
Since the NBA started hustle stats tracking, Daniel Theis owns the Celtics’ single-season record for most screen assists per game, at 4.3 back in 2019-20. Queta could challenge that mark this season if the Celtics’ shooters find their groove.