Celtics
“Every time I step out on that court, I’m trying to go 110% and play as hard as I can.”
The Celtics were going to need a spark on Tuesday night.
With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both inactive in the same game for the first time since April 14, 2024, Boston had to look elsewhere for its go-to conduits of production on the parquet.
Most of the onus fell on Kristaps Porzingis, who led the charge for Boston against the Nets with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and three blocks.
But the rest of Boston’s overhauled starting five found themselves mired in a rock fight against the Nets — with Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Sam Hauser sinking just six of their 28 shots from 3-point range.
Enter Baylor Scheierman.
With the Celtics’ offense sputtering for most of the night, the rookie sharpshooter picked the perfect time to orchestrate his breakout performance on Causeway Street — connecting on seven of his eight field-goal attempts (including a six-of-seven performance from beyond the arc) en route to a career-high 20 points in Boston’s eventual 104-96 win.
It was a welcome result for Scheierman, with the 2024 first-round pick entering Tuesday’s matchup with just five made 3-pointers on the season in a limited role. But with more reps up for grabs against Brooklyn, the former Creighton standout made the most of the opportunity in front of him.
“The thing I really like about him is his toughness,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said postgame of Scheierman. “He’s got a high level of toughness to him. He’s got a chip on his shoulder. Kind of that “F-U” mentality to where he’s just gonna make it work.”
Just about everything was working for Scheierman in the second half — with the rookie sinking five of his six 3-pointers over that stretch.
Scheierman became his salvo from deep in the closing seconds of the third quarter, with his initial bank shot from 3-point range waved off due to a foul before the attempt.
Undeterred, Scheierman connected on another trey from the exact same spot on the subsequent play — giving Boston a 71-70 lead as the buzzer blared at TD Garden.
It was the long-awaited “welcome to the NBA” moment that Scheierman was searching for amid the expected growing pains that have presented themselves this season.
“It’s pretty special — I hit that buzzer-beater and the crowd was going crazy,” Scheierman said. “That was probably a top-three environment I’ve ever been a part of and obviously I’ve played a lot of big games. So it’s just special. And that obviously is what makes Boston so elite and the best sports town in the country.”
Scheierman did not let up in the fourth quarter, hitting another 3-pointer at the 10:15 mark before sinking a catch-and-shoot trey from the left corner with 7:08 left on the clock. On the next possession, he dribbled up the court and hit another deep shot from the left arc that eventually bounced through the netting — leading to more cheers from the raucous crowd.
He closed out his breakthrough performance by stepping into another 3-pointer with 5:30 left before exiting the game to a standing ovation.
The 2024-25 season has presented plenty of challenges to Scheierman, who has spent extended stretches in Maine while also struggling to find his shot from deep during his first reps against NBA competition.
But it all came together for the rookie on Tuesday, with Scheierman becoming just the fourth rookie in Celtics history to hit at least six 3-pointers in a single game.
The Celtics won’t need to rely on a Scheierman 3-point barrage every night — especially once both Tatum and Brown return to the court.
But as Boston continues to build its collective game before the postseason, an often overlooked piece on the Celtics’ depth chart proved Tuesday that he’s more than capable of pulling on the rope when needed.
“You kind of have to have that mentality to make it in this league,” Scheierman said of Mazzulla’s praise of his “F-U” mindset. “There’s a lot of talented players. And every time I step out on that court, I’m trying to go 110% and play as hard as I can — regardless of the score or who we’re playing, and just trying to put my best foot forward every single time.”
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