![\"Jaylen](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775477787_564_GettyImages-2269127033-e1775048354402.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics <\/p>\n
The Boston Celtics<\/a> cruised past the Toronto Raptors<\/a> 115-101 on Easter Sunday at TD Garden, finishing off a 4-0 season sweep against their Division rival. Jaylen Brown<\/a> had 26 points<\/a> and shot 55 percent from the floor, adding 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals<\/a>. Jayson Tatum<\/a> posted 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists<\/a> for his sixth double-double in seven games.<\/p>\n The second seed in the East is all but locked up, with Boston sitting three games clear of the New York Knicks<\/a> at 53-25 and four games left on the schedule. The postseason picture is nearly set.<\/p>\n But the player who stole Sunday\u2019s game was not one of the two franchise cornerstones. It was the center who has quietly become one of the most important pieces on the roster. After the win, Brown made sure everyone knew it.<\/p>\n What Brown Said After the Celtics Win<\/p>\n Jaylen Brown<\/a> did not hold back when discussing Neemias Queta<\/a> on his Twitch stream.<\/p>\n \u201cNeemias Queta needs to be the most improved player, he needs to be on the defensive team or something,\u201d Brown said<\/a>. \u201cHe needs some type of award for his growth this year.\u201d<\/p>\n The conviction behind the words stood out. Brown has never been one to throw empty praise around. When he campaigns for a teammate, it reflects genuine belief in what that player has accomplished.<\/p>\n Queta backed it up on the floor. He finished Sunday\u2019s game with 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting<\/a>, 7 rebounds<\/a> with five coming on the offensive glass, 4 assists, and 3 blocks<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cNeemias Queta needs to be the most improved player, he needs to be on the defensive team or something. He needs some type of award for his growth this year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 Jaylen Brown <\/p>\n Queta Admits the Award Is on His Mind<\/p>\n Queta was asked after the game whether he has thought about winning Most Improved Player.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. I think about it all the time,\u201d Queta said<\/a>. \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve made a good case for it. At the end of the day, I\u2019m just helping the team win. That\u2019s my main goal. Obviously, that\u2019s secondary, The Most Improved.\u201d<\/p>\n The honesty was refreshing. Most players deflect when asked about individual awards. Queta acknowledged the ambition while keeping the team first.<\/p>\n Two nights earlier against the Milwaukee Bucks<\/a>, Queta set the tone from the start. He finished that game with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks<\/a> in a 133-101 victory.<\/p>\n Back-to-back games of near-perfect efficiency from the center position. That is not a hot streak. That is the player he has become.<\/p>\n GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS \u2013 APRIL 05: Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics blocks a shot attempt made by RJ Barrett #9 of the Toronto Raptors during the second half at TD Garden on April 05, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n From Two-Way Contract to Starting Center<\/p>\n Queta\u2019s rise was not guaranteed. The offseason gutted Boston\u2019s frontcourt. Kristaps Porzingis<\/a> left for Golden State. Al Horford<\/a> retired. Luke Kornet<\/a> signed elsewhere. The center spot was wide open, and Queta had done little to suggest he could carry it alone.<\/p>\n He answered every doubt.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is an NBA<\/a> starting big man, that\u2019s who he is now,\u201d Tatum said. \u201cHe\u2019s only going to continue to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n White said the team\u2019s trust in Queta has grown throughout the season, adding that the confidence Queta plays with now is a product of earning it every night. The belief across the locker room is genuine.<\/p>\n Queta went from a player fighting for minutes to someone the Celtics rely on when games tighten up. The growth has shown up in every part of his game.<\/p>\n Nikola Vucevic<\/a> returned Sunday from his fractured finger and played 13 minutes. The minutes will ramp up as the playoffs approach, but Queta\u2019s hold on the starting role looks secure.<\/p>\n GettyNeemias Queta, Boston Celtics<\/p>\n Final Word for the Celtics<\/p>\n Jaylen Brown does not hand out praise casually. When he says a teammate deserves an award, the endorsement carries the full weight of a franchise player who has seen what the work looks like up close every day.<\/p>\n Queta heard the question about Most Improved and did not flinch. He wants it. He believes he has earned the conversation.<\/p>\n Two games, 37 combined points on 16-of-20 shooting, 17 rebounds, and 7 blocks. The case is building itself.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tKeith Watkins<\/a> Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Celtics\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics cruised past the Toronto Raptors 115-101 on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":691959,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3766],"tags":[7,45,75,3798,46,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-701293","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-boston-celtics","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-boston","10":"tag-boston-celtics","11":"tag-bostonceltics","12":"tag-celtics","13":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116357723401131739","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701293","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=701293"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701293\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/691959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=701293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=701293"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=701293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2269966563.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Neemias](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2263060148-e1775295591360.jpg\")
<\/p>\n