The Boston Celtics hung on to a hard-fought 121-118 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday afternoon to push their record to 7-7 on the season. While he didn’t necessarily have the flashiest numbers, one of the stars of this game was center Neemias Queta. With more minutes up for grabs this season, Queta has snatched the starting center job for the Celtics, and he’s looked solid, averaging 9.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 61.3% from the field. Against the Clippers, Queta played a career-high 33 minutes, scoring 14 points and hauling in nine rebounds. He made several big plays, including one where he rebounded a pair of his own misses before eventually converting an and-one layup. If you ask team insider Marc D’Amico, he thinks Queta is proving that he can be a key part of the team’s future. “These are the plays and the moments that Neemias Queta hasn’t been able to log during his NBA career because he hasn’t been one of the top big men,” D’Amico said on “Sound Off.” “Now, he is the top big man on this team, and he gets to play in these critical moments and learn that he belongs and prove that he belongs.” The 2025-26 season is largely expected to be a reset year for Boston. With Jayson Tatum still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, the C’s are working on identifying who will be a part of their next championship team. Queta has already proven he’s capable of earning minutes off the bench, but he’s excelled as an everyday starter so far this year. Story continues below advertisement He may not be putting up the biggest numbers, but Queta’s interior presence on both sides of the ball has been hard to miss through 14 games. Queta will look to continue helping lead Boston to victories when it takes on the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night.