The center finished with 27 points and 17 rebounds and was serenaded with ‘MVP’ chants during several fourth-quarter free throws. Jaylen Brown added 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists.
The Celtics, who entered the night averaging 17.1 second-chance points per game (fourth best in the league), poured in 30 Sunday, with Queta leading the charge.
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Tyrese Maxey had 33 points to lead the 76ers, who were without star center Joel Embiid (oblique).
The Celtics led for the entire second half but struggled to finish off the 76ers with one of their trademark avalanches. Boston led, 103-93, with less than five minutes left before Philadelphia needed just 25 seconds to pull within 6.
But they missed their next five shots, any one of which could have put real pressure on Boston. And with 2:56 left Queta converted a layup as he was fouled, stretching the lead back to 105-97. He received ‘MVP’ chants for the second time in the quarter when he went to the foul line.
Then with 1:55 left, he put an exclamation point on his memorable night by grabbing yet another offensive rebound and throwing down a two-handed dunk that made it 109-98.
The Sixers made their first three shots while Boston started just 5 for 21, allowing Philadelphia to open up a 25-15 lead. But the Celtics answered with a swift 11-1 run highlighted by a Jordan Walsh 3-pointer. Boston’s shooting improved only marginally, but relentless work on the offensive glass gave it essential extra chances, with Queta at the forefront.
The center has a knack for either gobbling up offensive boards or doing just enough to keep them alive for his teammates.
He registered five offensive rebounds in the opening period, and the Celtics went 7 for 7 from the foul line, allowing them to pull within 28-26 despite grisly shooting.
In the second quarter, 76ers big man Andre Drummond continued to shade toward Celtics guards on drives, leaving Queta the space to be a willing finisher. He has always had a soft touch around the basket, but he flashed an unusual amount of offensive creativity during his dominant second quarter.
During one stretch, he danced through the lane for a basket, converted a putback, then dazzled the crowd by trailing a fast break, taking a pass from Brown, and converting an acrobatic scoop shot that gave Boston a 40-35 lead.
Queta reminded everyone that much of his value comes from his defensive work when he swatted a Kelly Oubre Jr. shot out of bounds, and he received a rare standing ovation when he checked out moments later.
Queta made all four of his second-quarter shots and went to halftime with 16 points and 12 rebounds. It was a stat line that would signal a career night for the former backup over a full game, much less half of one.
Celtics guard Baylor Scheierman started the game despite being diagnosed with a broken left thumb on his shooting hand. He wore a small splint and missed all three of his first-quarter 3-pointers. But he may have just needed a brief acclimation period.
Later in the second quarter he converted a fast-break layup, and after his own turnover he hustled back on defense to break up the speedy Tyrese Maxey’s transition chance. The 76ers All-Star was just 4 for 18 from the field in the first half.
Finally, after a well-executed two-for-one opportunity, Brown found Scheierman in the right corner and he hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that gave Boston a 62-50 lead at the break. Scheierman gave a high thumbs-up with his bandaged thumb before a smiling Derrick White jogged over and gave a similar gesture.
At the start of the third quarter back-to-back 3-pointers by Brown and White gave the Celtics a 68-52 lead, their largest. But the 76ers cut that deficit in half in a 58-second span, with a VJ Edgecombe 4-point play highlighting the surge.
The Celtics pushed their lead back to 15, but the 76ers continued to linger. Another 7-0 run made the gap manageable, and 3-pointers in the final minute by Quentin Grimes and Maxey made it 89-83 at the start of the fourth.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.