The Boston Celtics had a solid game for Portugal in the international competition.
One of the precursors to one of the biggest international competitions, the FIBA World Cup Qualifying round, is currently underway and is set to continue through mid-September.
The Boston Celtics are one of the teams with multiple representatives in the international competition, and have several players currently underway for their native countries.
Two of those representatives, centers Luka Garza and Neemias Queta, competed Friday in the qualifying round.
Garza had an efficient game for his native Bosnia and Herzegovina in the country's 78-76 win against Italy.
Queta had a great game in his own right for his native Portugal in the team's 95-89 win over Spain.
The 27-year-old center was fourth on the team in minutes played (24 minutes, 37 seconds). He scored 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the floor, including a six-for-six mark from free-throw range, brought in nine rebounds (including five offensive boards), dished an assist and had two steals.
Queta was originally picked in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. He played two seasons with the Sacramento franchise before Boston signed him to a two-way deal on Sept. 19, 2023. He was signed by the Celtics having just 20 games of experience in two seasons with the Kings.
In his first year with Boston, Queta played just 28 games without starting. His workload increased to 62 games (six starts) in the 2024-25 season.
This past season, Queta received his first true extended look as a starter in the NBA and performed well in the role. In 76 games (75 starts), Queta averaged 25.3 minutes per game and scored 10.2 points per contest on 65.3% shooting from the floor. He also averaged 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 blocks per contest.
The 7-foot, 248-pound center did a serviceable job in his new role for the Celtics, who played most of the season without franchise superstar Jayson Tatum. He finished fourth in voting for the NBA's Most Improved award and earned a four-year, $56 million contract following the season, keeping him in Boston long-term.
Even with his new contract and his newfound form, the Celtics felt the need to find a rim protector to combat the elite bigs in the Eastern Conference and signed former New York Knicks starter and defending NBA champion Mitchell Robinson to a multi-year deal.
The expectation is that Mitchell will be the team's starting center, but due to his injury history, Boston might be able to look to capitalize on the minutes of both him and Queta by having them split time based on opponent and situation.
