Baylor Scheierman’s best performance as a member of the Celtics could not have come at a better time on Thursday night. Joe Mazzulla was down five rotation players against the 76ers when he return to Baylor Scheierman in the first quarter for a lengthy stint and the first-round pick did not disappoint, posting a career-high 15 points in a 123-105 win over Philadelphia at TD Garden.
Scheierman knocked down three 3s in the victory including one in front of the Sixers bench in the second half that garnered some extra attention. The rookie blew a kiss to the visitors bench after drilling the corner 3 as he ran back down the floor. Scheierman blew a kiss on another 3-point make in the first half but acknowledged he wants to stick it to the Sixers a little bit after his third quarter make.
“Yeah. I mean, every time you shoot by the bench they’re always saying, hell nah,” Scheierman explained. “So I’m having to turn around and give ‘em a little kiss.”
The make help the Celtics jumpstart a 18-2 second half run that put the game away for good in Boston’s third straight win. Scheierman took advantage of the extra minutes with some impressive shotmaking and also took a pair of charges to earn some praise from his coach and teammates.
“He was great on both ends of the floor,” Joe Mazzulla said after the win. “I thought he passed up a couple early shots when he was open, and then he got them in rhythm, and he was able to make a couple. But another guy that regardless of how well he shoots, he’ll be defined by the other stuff that he does, the rebounding, the defense, the loose ball that he cased down, the charge that he took, and the crashing. So I just thought he played a well-rebounded game.”
The performance was likely a big confidence boost for Scheierman, who had played well in Maine but had not shot well yet in the NBA, entering the contest 4-of-24 on the season.
“Just try to play loose, play free, and if I get an open shot, shoot it,” Scheierman said of his mentality. “Try to be locked in on the defensive plan and just play hard. My teammates have a lot of trust me, and I just go out and play hard and opportunities come my way and just try to make the most of it.”
With the majority of Boston’s rotation expected to be back available for Saturday’s game against the Lakers, it’s unclear when Scheierman will get another big chance. However, the rookie showed the type of promise that made him a first round pick for Boston last June and is eager to build off of that.
“Yeah, I’m very confident in myself and my abilities to impact the game in a lot of ways,” Scheierman said. “Whether that’s taking charges or making plays for others or hitting shots, and obviously got an opportunity tonight and just made the most of it. But overall, I’ve always been pretty confident in my ability to impact the game.”
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