There are nights when the numbers jump off the page.

And then there are nights when the numbers tell you something deeper.

Friday’s 148-111 rout of the Brooklyn Nets (15-44) will be remembered for the historic shooting - 66.7% from the field, 64.7% from three, and record-setting efficiency marks.

But beneath the avalanche of makes was a quieter development that could matter more long term:

Nikola Vucevic looked comfortable.

Not just productive. Comfortable.

Three weeks into his Celtics tenure, the 35-year-old big man turned in his most complete performance in green - 28 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 9 of 13 shooting, 3 of 3 from deep, 7 of 7 at the line.

Efficient. Decisive. In rhythm.

And for the first time since the trade, it didn’t feel forced.

When Vucevic arrived, the fit made sense on paper - floor spacing, screening, offensive versatility. But fitting into Boston’s ecosystem isn’t as simple as stepping into the paint and posting up.

This offense moves quickly. Reads are instant. Spacing is precise. The ball doesn’t stick.

Vucevic admitted earlier this week that he’s still learning teammates’ tendencies and sometimes overthinking instead of playing instinctively. Against Denver (37-23), that hesitation showed. Against Brooklyn, it didn’t.

He screened with force. He rolled hard when the lane opened. He popped confidently when defenders sagged. He attacked mismatches instead of swinging the ball away from them. The game flowed.

Postgame, Joe Mazzulla pointed to the spacing and the reads. Jaylen Brown emphasized aggressiveness.

The eye test matched both.

Boston doesn’t need Vucevic to carry the offense every night. That’s not the role.

But when he’s decisive, the geometry of the floor changes.

If defenders help off him, he can shoot it. If they switch, he can score inside. If they overcommit, he can pass.

That versatility was on full display Friday, especially during a blistering first quarter when he stabilized the offense after Neemias Queta’s early foul trouble.

It’s also worth noting the context:

Vucevic logged just 25 minutes in a stretch of five games in seven days.

Mazzulla was able to manage the rotation because the veteran big man controlled his minutes efficiently - no wasted possessions, no drift.

That matters in March.

Yes, the Celtics shot historically well.

Yes, Brooklyn ranks among the league’s worst defensive teams.

But this wasn’t just about hot shooting.

Two nights earlier in Denver, Boston generated quality looks and couldn’t convert.

Against the Nets, the same process produced a different result.

The difference was rhythm - and Vucevic was part of it.

He wasn’t hunting touches. He wasn’t hesitating. He was reacting.

That’s typically the final stage of an in-season adjustment: when thinking gives way to instinct.

The Celtics are now 6-2 since acquiring Vucevic.

The next challenge comes Sunday against Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers (33-26) - a far more physical frontcourt test.

That matchup will reveal more about Boston’s playoff viability than a February game against a 15-win team.

But if Friday was any indication, Vucevic is starting to find the balance he described - playing his game while fitting into Boston’s structure.

When that balance locks in consistently, the Celtics won’t just be dangerous when the math hits.

They’ll be harder to scheme against in May and June.

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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.