Neemias Queta scores 16 points and delivers poster dunk in Celtics win

Neemias Queta delivered another standout performance in NBA preseason action. On Wednesday night, the Portuguese center was one of the key figures for the Boston Celtics in their commanding 114-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden, keeping Joe Mazzulla's side undefeated with three wins in as many tune-up games.

Coming off the bench, the Portuguese center logged 24 minutes, putting up 16 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Alongside Payton Pritchard, Queta provided a solid spark with the second unit, finishing as the game's third-highest scorer. His highlight moment came in the fourth quarter when he drove to the rim and hammered down an emphatic one-handed poster dunk. Mazzulla rolled out a two-big lineup, pairing Queta alongside Mitchell Robinson, who kickstarted the play and will share frontcourt rotation duties.

Luka Garza came off the bench to shine in the closing minutes, draining a deep three-pointer, coming up with a steal that led to a fast-break dunk, and knocking down another from beyond the arc. Scoring 11 of his 14 points in the final eight minutes—outscoring the entire Charlotte team (nine points) on his own during that stretch—Garza sparked a decisive 22-9 run to seal the win.

Among the starters, Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 19 points, while Derrick White also impressed with 17.

Robinson tallied three blocks—more than the entire visiting team combined—earning high praise from head coach Joe Mazzulla after the game: "Mitch is one of the smartest players I've ever been around."

The NBA regular season tips off on the 20th, with the Celtics opening their campaign on the road against the Detroit Pistons.