The Celtics (40-20) didn’t start sharp Sunday night at TD Garden.

They finished in control.

Boston erased a 10-point first-quarter deficit and pulled away for a 114-98 win over the Philadelphia 76ers (33-27), earning a 2-2 split in the season series.

Playing without Joel Embiid (oblique) and Paul George (suspension), Philadelphia leaned heavily on Tyrese Maxey, while the Celtics overcame a cold shooting night (44% from the field, 32% from three) with physicality, depth and one massive performance in the paint.

Jaylen Brown (27 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) and Derrick White (21 points, 8 assists) steadied things offensively, and Nikola Vucevic added a double-double off the bench.

But the night belonged to Neemias Queta, whose career-best outing changed the tone of the game.

Boston now heads to Milwaukee for its fifth game in seven nights riding its second straight win.

Here are four takeaways from a win on Sunday Night Basketball on NBC:

Queta flipped the game in the second quarter.

With the Celtics searching for rhythm, the big man dominated the glass and punished Philadelphia inside, helping Boston post a 36-21 advantage in the frame.

He overpowered Andre Drummond and Adem Bona, grabbing 12 first-half rebounds - seven offensive - and fueling 17 second-chance points before halftime.

He was efficient around the rim, aggressive rolling to the basket, and unafraid of contact, getting to the line five times in the first half alone.

By the final buzzer, Queta had posted a career-high 27 points and 17 rebounds in just 27 minutes, earning multiple standing ovations from the Garden crowd.

It wasn’t just production, it was presence.

The Celtics shot just 30.8% in the first quarter and could have easily fallen further behind.

Instead, they leaned into effort.

Boston’s work on the offensive glass and ability to get to the free-throw line kept the deficit manageable despite the early struggles.

Extra possessions and interior activity prevented the Sixers from building separation.

When the shots began to fall in the second quarter, the Celtics were already positioned to surge ahead. The hustle kept them afloat long enough for the offense to catch up.

With Embiid and George unavailable, the responsibility fell squarely on Tyrese Maxey.

He finished with a game-high 33 points, but it came on 34 shot attempts across 43 minutes.

Boston’s guards consistently showed bodies in the paint, cut off driving lanes in transition and forced him into difficult pull-ups.

Maxey missed 16 of his first 21 attempts as the Celtics made him navigate traffic all night.

He and V.J. Edgecombe made a late push in the fourth, but the efficiency never followed.

Boston didn’t stop him from scoring. They made him earn every point.

This was Boston’s fourth game in six nights, with a road matchup in Milwaukee waiting Monday.

Taking care of business at home - especially against an undermanned opponent - mattered.

The Celtics have now won 11 of their last 13 games, a stretch that has helped them maintain positioning in the Eastern Conference as other contenders stack wins against lighter schedules.

With seven of the next nine games coming against likely playoff teams, the margin for error won’t widen.

Sunday wasn’t perfect, but it was controlled, physical, and professional.

And in this part of the calendar, that’s often enough.

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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.