After an injury scare on Friday, Neemias Queta put up a big day for Portugal, while Luka Garza had a solid day for Bosnia and Herzogovina.
A pair of Boston Celtics big men put together a solid day on Monday in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
Portugal, led by C's big man Neemias Queta, was defeated by Georgia, but Queta had 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting. He also had 11 rebounds and four blocks, and he produced one of the best blocks you'll see.
His performance was extra noteworthy considering he tweaked an ankle on Friday and there was worry if he'd even play.
Fellow big man Luka Garza had 14 points and seven rebounds for Bosnia and Herzogovina in their loss to Lithuania.
This round of FIBA qualifying is now over, but there will be two more rounds before the event is actually held in 2027. NBA players will not play in the remaining two qualifying sessions. Eighty nations began in this qualifying journey, while 32 will ultimately advance to the World Cup in Qatar.
The winner of the World Cup is not guaranteed a berth in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but it's essentially a given that the winner will advance.
Queta took a big step forward in his career in 2025-26, playing in 76 games for the Celtics while averaging 10.2 ppg and 8.4 rebounds. A 7-footer, he's certainly capable of scoring a bit and aiding in rebounding and defensive efforts. He's active and athletic, and is still just 27 years old. He's a five-year veteran of the Sacramento Kings and Celtics. His 10.2 ppg last season were nearly double that of any previous season in his career (5.5 in 2023-24).
He figures to form a solid big man trio with Mitchell Robinson and Garza, and first-round draft pick Chris Cenac Jr. could mix in as well. Queta signed a contract extension this offseason and is now under team control for the next five seasons.
His extension is for four years and $56 million and tacks onto his current one year remaining.
A former standout at Iowa, Garza is a five-year veteran of the Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves and Celtics. He's averaged 6.0 ppg for his career to go along with 2.7 rebounds. He was more productive last year with Boston, scoring 8.1 ppg in 69 games played. He also grabbed 4.1 rebounds and shot an exceptional 57.7 percent from the floor. He also shot 43 percent from three-point range.
He's headed into the final year of his contract with the Celtics, so it will be curious what his future holds.
