Andre Drummond gives respect to Celtics' Neemias Queta after road loss
BOSTON — As the Philadelphia 76ers paid a visit to the Boston Celtics on Sunday night, one might not have expected a huge night from fifth-year big man Neemias Queta. Of course, Queta is having a solid season for the Celtics, but he unleashed a career night on the Sixers at the TD Garden.
Queta had a career-high 27 points to go along with 17 rebounds as the Sixers fell to the Celtics 114-98. On a night with no Joel Embiid due to a right oblique strain, Andre Drummond stepped in and had 10 points and 12 rebounds, but he had his issues with Queta.
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“He had a good night tonight,” Drummond said. “I think his team featured him a lot tonight. I was trying to blitz on pick-and-rolls to get the guards off the ball, and they made the right plays by giving him the ball. He did what he’s supposed to do by finishing shots, and he was around the rim, offensive rebound, and I tried to block him out. Just, again, those weird bounces would just fall in his hands, or he would get tipped to him somehow, some way.”
Queta’s previous career high in points was 19 so he beat it by a solid number on Sunday and he was three rebounds shy of his career-high in that category of 20. Drummond, an elite rebounder himself in his career, couldn’t help, but give his respect to the young big man.
“He played hard,” Drummond added. “He played great. He had a great game. He played well. I think if was a career night for him. (Expletive) that it happened against me, but whatever. It is what it is. He had a good game. I told him after the game, I said, build on this. I mean, use this as momentum, and, you know, build on it. You should feel good about yourself. It was a great game. He played well. Do it again.”
Drummond has been in the league for 14 years. He is taking pride in the fact that there are younger players in this league who look up to him and are asking him for some advice at this stage of their careers. Queta is no different and Drummond takes pride in that.
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“Every time we play them, he always, like, asks me a question, or he says what do you think about this or how can I do this better?” Drummond explained. “So, I have a different kind of respect for him. Just for having that type of respect for me, and wanting to know how I feel about certain things and what I would do in certain situations. So, it was a good game for him.”
The Sixers will return home to host the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Andre Drummond gives respect to Celtics’ Neemias Queta after road loss