Feb. 11, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET
BOSTON — Boston Celtics center Nikola Vucevic couldn’t deny that it felt weird to line up across from his old team — the Chicago Bulls — on Wednesday night. That bizarre feeling didn’t seem to impact his performance though, as the 2-time All-Star torched the Bulls with 19 points (on 58% shooting) off the bench en route to a 124-105 victory for the Celtics at TD Garden.
Since being traded to Beantown at the deadline in exchange for guard Anfernee Simons, Vucevic has scored in double figures in each of his three outings with the Green Team. However, Wednesday was arguably the first time he looked truly comfortable with his new squad.
“I think tonight was a good step forward of where we can get to and I felt a lot more comfortable out there,” he stated in the locker room. “And I think the guys felt more comfortable around me, and we were able to build some good chemistry.”
Vucevic also tallied a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal during a blowout in which the Celtics led by as many as 33 points. Perhaps the lack of pressure amidst a beatdown allowed the NBA vet to relax, or maybe the simple fact that he could finally practice with the C’s on Tuesday morning did the trick.
“It helped a lot,” he said of his inaugural practice in Boston. “Finally had some time to go through stuff — a little more detailed, and more reps. That always helps.”
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Prior to this practice session, Vucevic wasn’t as familiar or comfortable with the Celtics’ complex system.
“It was just a lot at once,” he admitted.
He wasn’t the only one learning either. The rest of the Celtics had to get up to speed with Vucevic’s game and learn how to best integrate the 35-year-old with an already successful roster.
“He draws in so much attention,” Celtics wing Jordan Walsh noted. “The first game we didn’t really see it because we haven’t been there, we haven’t played with each other. Going into game 2, he realized and we realized that we buy into it, and then it creates a great advantage for us.”
With his impressive ability to facilitate the ball as a big and a reliable 3-point shot, Vucevic was an obvious fit for the Celtics. And while they didn’t know how to play through him from the get-go, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla witnessed visible progress on Wednesday.
“Much more comfortable today,” he described of Vucevic’s third game with Boston. “He values the details, and wants to get it right. So, he put a lot of preparation into it, and he looked much better tonight.”
While nobody on Boston’s roster had previously played on Vucevic’s side, that doesn’t include the coaching staff. Celtics assistant coach Amile Jefferson actually spent two seasons with him when they both were on the Orlando Magic over 5 years ago.
Jefferson didn’t play much in the NBA, yet the Celtics used this prior experience to ease Vucevic’s transition to Boston.
“I’ve known him for a long time,” Vucevic said. “That helped me a little bit because it was a familiar face, somebody I’ve known…But (all of the coaches) have been really helpful, honestly. When they came back from the trip in Dallas and Houston, they all came straight to the facility to do a walkthrough with me, to watch film with me. And as a player, that means a lot.”
The now 35-19 Celtics won’t have any in-game opportunities to increase their compatibility with Vucevic over the next week. It’s officially the All-Star break and the Green Team doesn’t play again until Feb. 19 when they face the Golden State Warriors on the road.
“We all, as players, do look forward to the All-Star (break) at this point of year,” Vucevic said amongst a jovial locker room. “I think it was good for us to finish with a win, finish on a positive note, and go to the break feeling pretty good.”
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