Baylor Scheierman heard the chirps from the Philadelphia 76ers bench. So, when he drilled a corner 3-pointer as the third quarter wound down, he wanted to give them something back.
After his third three of the game swished through the hoop, the Celtics rookie turned and blew a kiss to his seated opponents as he jogged back down the court.
“Every time you shoot by the bench, they’re always saying ‘Hell nah,’” a smiling Scheierman said after the game, which Boston went on to win 123-105 at TD Garden. “So I had to turn around and give them a little kiss.”
The smooch was one of several memorable moments from Scheierman, who delivered easily the best performance of his young NBA career in the blowout victory.
With Celtics regulars Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Sam Hauser all inactive for the game, the first-round draft pick logged a career-high 30 minutes against the similarly shorthanded Sixers and was highly active at both ends.
Offensively, he finally showed the 3-point shooting ability that helped make him a star at South Dakota State and Creighton, going 3-for-7 from beyond the arc. Before Thursday, he’d attempted 15 threes in a Celtics uniform and made just one, way back on Jan. 20. Scheierman has shot a respectable 37.7% from three in his G League appearances, but this was the first time that had translated to an NBA floor.
Scheierman finished with 15 points against the Sixers, more than he’d totaled in all of his previous NBA appearances combined. He also assisted on 3-pointers by Payton Pritchard and Jordan Walsh.
“I think it’s just a balance,” he said. “They tell me to shoot it when I’m open, so it’s not anything coming from their end. Just trying to get a feel for the game and how it’s being played. And ultimately, my teammates have a lot of trust in me. (Jayson Tatum) is always telling me to shoot it if I’m open.”
Tatum confirmed that, saying he tries to empower young players like Scheierman and second-year pro Walsh when they get opportunities to play.
“You want to instill confidence in those guys, but I’m not out here holding your hand in a sense of, like, be a basketball player,” said Tatum, who scored 35 points in the win before sitting out the fourth quarter with Boston up big. “I tell Baylor and Jordan, all those guys, like, when you get out here, make a play. Both ends of the floor. If you’re open, shoot the ball. If you have a closeout, attack it. Make the right read. Just don’t be a robot. Be a basketball player. Do what got you here. And when you are in those moments, it’s all about making the most of it and just making plays.”
Scheierman’s defensive ability was one of his biggest question marks entering the 2024 NBA Draft, but he made plays there, too. He drew a charge against Sixers forward Guerschon Yabusele, who outweighs him by close to 50 pounds, and knifed in for a steal that sparked a fast break. Later, with four minutes remaining and the game already decided, Scheierman sprinted back to deny a transition opportunity under the Celtics’ basket, sliding into the fourth row of baseline seats in the process.
That hustle play caused Boston’s bench to pour onto the court in celebration.
“Obviously, he played in college a lot longer than guys that maybe were one-and-done,” Tatum said of Scheierman, who played five collegiate seasons and entered the NBA as a 24-year-old. “But his understanding of the game — (he’s a) very high-IQ player. He knows where to be on the floor, spacing-wise. Obviously he took the charges tonight, he got a steal in the backcourt that third quarter. He just has really good instincts. Obviously can shoot the ball. Not the most athletic, but understands how to use his body and his tempo, to be effective throughout the game.”
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said Scheierman was “great on both ends of the floor.”
“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,” Mazzulla said. “But (he’s) 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 chased down, the charge that he took and the crashing. So I just thought he played a well-rounded game.”
Mazzulla warned Scheierman before the season that he likely wouldn’t see significant playing time on Boston’s veteran-laden roster, and he hasn’t. Thursday’s appearance was just his 16th in a Celtics uniform, with most of his previous outings coming in garbage time. He’s now seen action in seven of Boston’s 11 games, however, and hasn’t played in the G League since Feb. 1.
“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.”