Neemias Queta is coming off the best season of his NBA career, a stretch that earned him a four-year, $56 million contract extension with the Boston Celtics this summer. Before he suits up for Boston again, though, he’s been putting on a show for his home country.
Queta has been representing Portugal in FIBA World Cup qualifying, and his recent performances have made it clear why the Celtics were eager to lock him up long-term. He also had to overcome a scare along the way.
Queta Dominates Against Fellow Celtics Teammate
Queta faced off against Spain, and fellow Celtics big man Hugo Gonzalez, in a 95-89 win Friday. He put up 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting to go with nine rebounds in 24 minutes, though he left the game early after spraining his ankle.
The ankle didn’t slow him down for long. Three days later, Queta delivered his best performance of the stretch in a 98-90 loss to Georgia, scoring 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting while adding 11 rebounds, three assists, four blocks and a steal.
Portugal’s qualifying run concluded with the loss, finishing group play at 4-4. Queta now heads back toward Boston, with Celtics training camp only a few months away.
Other Celtics Players in International Action
Queta wasn’t the only Celtics player representing his country this summer. Gonzalez struggled through his two outings with Spain. He finished with just three points and three rebounds against Portugal, posting a team-worst minus-23 in 23 minutes. Gonzalez followed that with another quiet game in a loss to Greece. He tallied three points, three rebounds and three turnovers as Spain got outscored by 14 points during his time on the floor. Spain ultimately finished group play at 5-3.
Celtics center Luka Garza, playing for Bosnia, had a stronger showing. He posted 14 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Lithuania. Then he followed with 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench in a win over Italy. Bosnia finished group play at 3-5.
Final Word for Boston
All this qualifying action is building toward the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar, a 32-team tournament with qualifying continuing into November.
If his summer form carries over, the Celtics may have gotten even more value out of that deal than expected.
Celtics Get Good News on $56 Million Big Man