He had several more highlights Friday than lowlights, but he displayed his wry sense of humor when reflecting on that one drive to the basket.

Get Starting Point

A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.

“That one, quite honestly, I felt like I had taken off too far and I wasn’t sure I was going to get to the rim,” he said. “I took off and I’m not the most high flyer in the NBA. I went in the air and I felt I had him and I saw (Queta), he had his hands ready and I tried to dump it to him. I should have finished that one. Maybe a couple of years ago, I would have gotten it.”

The Celtics plan to use Vucevic extensively as another center option, and he played 28 minutes and posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, along with 4 assists and 2 steals. The integration of Vucevic into the rotation and developing chemistry with his teammates is going to take weeks, but it was apparent the Celtics enjoy having another post threat and premium offensive rebounder.

His versatility, ability to stretch the floor, and his size is why Brad Stevens traded away the popular and productive Anfernee Simons to the Chicago Bulls for Vucevic. He’s a veteran, a pro, and brings experience and savvy to clutch games in the season’s final two months that his cohorts, Queta and Luka Garza, may lack.

Sunday’s matchup against the Knicks, which features Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, or a potential rematch with the Pistons, with Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, are why the Celtics felt they needed more beef and savvy in the center position.

That’s why Vucevic is here. He’s languished in Chicago for the past six years as the Bulls couldn’t decide whether to contend or rebuild — so they did neither, until this week. He’s played in only 16 playoff games in 15 years and has advanced past the first round once — when he played one game as a 76ers rookie in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Celtics.

Vucevic views this an opportunity to play in meaningful games well into the postseason, to contribute to a team that’s playing for more than themselves.

“I know it motivates me to even try to get to a higher level,” he said earlier Friday. “I am 35 but I still feel like I have a lot left in the tank, and I can still play at a higher level. So have an opportunity to play in the playoffs, to play for something big.

“You know, I think it’s extra motivation for everybody, and I’m just excited to have that opportunity. I’ve never really had it in my career, so it’s something that I do wish had happened sooner, but it happens now — and so I’m going to try to make the best of it and be the best version that I can of myself and help the team.”

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has a few words with his newest charge, center Nikola Vucevic, before he enters his first game in Boston black and green.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

Vucevic’s teammates and coaches spent considerable time during the game trying to get him acclimated on the fly during what became a high-pressure game. The Celtics looked flat and lethargic for most of the first half and trailed by 21 at halftime. They scraped back into the game with a 30-7 run over the third and fourth quarters, and Vucevic was playing quality minutes after coach Joe Mazzulla scrapped the two-big lineup that started the game.

Mazzulla alternated Vucevic and Queta during the fourth quarter, using Vucevic for his offense and Queta for defense and rim protection. Vucevic was plus-11 in his 28 minutes, second-highest on the team to Baylor Scheierman (plus-17).

“I felt pretty comfortable out there as the game went on,” he said. “I think the guys also felt more comfortable around me and were able to figure out certain things they want us to run. We can continue to build on it and figure things out to get a feel for playing alongside each other.”

It was the Celtics’ fifth consecutive victory as they moved a game ahead of the Knicks for the second seed, with the Knicks coming to the Garden on Sunday afternoon. After Boston trounced Houston without Brown and Sam Hauser, it notched another impressive victory on a night where it began 1 for 20 from the 3-point line and shot 29.8 percent in the first half.

But this edition of the Celtics continues to impress, and even astound, with their ability to thrive regardless of the lineup and situation. They looked porous in the first half and trailed by 18 with 7:06 left in the third quarter before that stirring run that overwhelmed the Heat.

“We’ve been playing like a team all season,” forward Jaylen Brown said. “We haven’t skipped any steps. That’s half the battle. We get along. We like each other. We play the game the right way.

“(Vucevic’s) progression is huge for us. Everybody is trying to get him involved, even if it was a little bit too much. He’s big for our team. His integration is key and I’ll be looking for that for the remainder of the year.”

Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.