Nikola Vucevic, Heavy
Good things seem to happen when the Boston Celtics trail the Miami Heat by a large margin of points. Down by 21 points at the half tonight, they came away with a 98-96 victory. When they last battled Miami, the C’s were down 28-9 in the early stages of the game. A victory was the end result.
The big storyline tonight, was the team debut of big man Nikola Vucevic, acquired from the Chicago Bulls at the 2026 trade deadline. Looking comfortable in his role off the bench, he was able to come through all throughout the contest, doing just what the team needed.
Clutch plays from Boston guards got them over the hump, while the Montenegran newbie grabbed all of the key rebounds that were necessary to finish things.
Let’s take a deeper dive into what Vucevic brought to the team in this first game, a victory at TD Garden.
Nikola Vucevic Shines In Celtics Debut
Sending Anfernee Simons and a 2nd-round pick to Chicago, the Celtics knew what they were getting back. Nikola Vucevic has been a difference-maker in the NBA for a long time now. And in his debut on the parquet, he showed up when called upon.
For the day, the new big man logged 27 minutes, finishing with a net rating of +7. He was getting ovations each time he came off the floor. 11 points, 12 rebounds and four assists was the final line for Vucevic during his first game with a new team in six years.
The thing missing with the Celtics this year has been a starting caliber center. Sitting in the #3 spot in the East has been nothing short of extraordinary considering that Jayson Tatum has not played a game. Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Luke Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis are all elsewhere, too. But it has been next man up all season long, with role players turning into starters and key contributors.
Jaylen Brown got the team started today, and then Payton Pritchard and Derrick White did the rest. They were just 1-20 from 3PT range in the first half, before turning it completely around and hitting nine of 16 shots from distance in the second.
The team has a guy that should function well in the offense in Vucevic, grabbing rebounds as needed, and keeping the floor spread without having to sacrifice size. He is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Celtics, Vucevic, Keeping Things Rolling
Tonight’s comeback victory was the fifth in a row for the Celtics. They improved to 17-8 home, and now occupy the #2 spot in the Eastern Conference. Getting a strong performance from Nikola Vucevic was integral, as he and Neemias Queta were able to hold down the fort at the center spot for the duration.
As is tradition in Boston, the team will host a game on Super Bowl Sunday. The Knicks will be coming to town, trying to shake a 38-point loss to the Pistons earlier tonight. A team that had a long winning streak previously, they were without the services of Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby in the defeat.
Boston will be looking to keep things rolling, as they eye a sixth consecutive win. Joe Mazzulla continues to remain a strong candidate for Coach of the Year. Jaylen Brown is in the thick of the MVP race. And Payton Pritchard is crushing it as sixth man.
All is well in Beantown.