BOSTON — The crowd had already roared once just moments ago, even though the shot didn’t count. Baylor Scheierman had banked in a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in the third quarter of Tuesday’s win over the Nets. But the referees had already called a Nets foul to stop the clock, so the cheers were for naught.
Well, no matter. After Scheierman’s inbounds pass, intended for Derrick White, found Kristaps Porzingis instead, the big man threw it right back to Scheierman. The rookie admitted he didn’t expect the pass, but all he could do was fire up a 26-footer as the clock sounded off. Turns out, it was the perfect move as the TD Garden crowd roared back to life again as Scheierman sank the buzzer-beating 3-pointer — and this time, it counted.
“It’s pretty special,” Scheierman said. “When I hit that buzzer-beater and the crowd was going crazy, that was probably a top-3 environment I’ve ever been a part of. And obviously, I played in a lot of big games. And so it’s just special and that’s obviously what makes Boston so elite and the best sports town in the country, the best city in the country.”
Scheierman impressed in his opportunities as the Celtics beat the Nets 104-96 on Tuesday at the Garden. The rookie had his breakout game, finishing with a career-high 20 points off the bench, shooting 7-for-8 from the field. He was also 6-of-7 on 3-pointers as he caught fire. Considering he came into Tuesday’s game with five career made 3s, he more than doubled that count in just one game.
Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum sat the game, so there were available minutes. From the moment Scheierman checked in, it was clear his activity level was going to make a difference. As C’s coach Joe Mazzulla pointed out, it wasn’t just that Scheierman made a bunch of 3-pointers Tuesday.
“He got some crashing, he got two big offensive rebounds for us, he got two steals, I think a deflection in the fourth quarter, and then obviously his 3s helped,” Mazzulla said. “We went small and we were able to have our spacing. So just got to continue to make plays. Again, the 3s are a plus. To me, it was the defensive effort, and the offensive rebounding and the toughness that he played with.”
Scheierman spent most of the first half of the season with the Maine Celtics, getting used to the pro game in the G League. There were certainly struggles in his first licks of NBA action, whether it was preseason or early on as it was an adjustment for the rookie. But the first-round pick has made strides in recent games, and the open minutes have allowed him to showcase those improvements.
The Celtics, of course, don’t necessarily need Scheierman to produce like he did Tuesday on a consistent basis. They’re defending champs for a reason and they brought back virtually their same roster from last season. But Scheierman breaking out is a positive sign in case he needs to step up in the playoffs. Beyond just this season, Scheierman could develop into a rotation player down the line — that’s all part of the Celtics' development plan.
“I’ve just done a good job of trying to just be where my feet are, whether that’s Maine or here,” Scheierman said. “And try to just learn as much as possible as I can from the people up in Maine, and then while I’m here as well, and just trying to take bits and pieces from everybody and kind of just mold it into my routine and how I go about things. And I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve seen over the course of the year is just the growth that I’ve learned and just staying ready for whenever my number is called.”
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