When the Celtics needed a spark on Saturday, it came from an unlikely - but not unfamiliar - source: Luka Garza. With Jaylen Brown sidelined due to illness, Boston turned to Garza to fill a gap in the rotation, and he responded with a performance that helped fuel a dominant 112-96 win over the Raptors.
Garza’s impact was immediate. After Boston benched four starters midway through the first quarter, Garza helped lead a +15 run to close the frame, setting the tone for the rest of the night.
It was the kind of gritty, physical stretch that doesn’t always show up in the box score but changes the flow of a game. And while it marked his first real rotation minutes since Nov. 29 - against his former Timberwolves squad, no less - you wouldn’t have known it by the way he played.
“You just gotta be ready,” said Neemias Queta, who knows a thing or two about staying prepared in a deep rotation. “He’s a workhorse.
That’s his game. He’s going to be out there playing as hard as he can, and he’s been huge for us.”
Garza’s role with the Celtics this season has been fluid. In his first 233 minutes as the primary second-unit big, lineups featuring him posted a -9.3 net rating per 100 possessions, giving up 123.2 points per 100.
Not ideal. But those same groups also played a more open offensive style, with a 129.6 offensive rating - a sign that Garza’s presence can unlock spacing and flow, even if it comes with some defensive trade-offs.
Despite logging limited or no minutes in the eight games following the loss in Minnesota, Garza stayed ready. His per-36 numbers - 16.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 40.7% from deep on 27 attempts - speak to the kind of production he’s capable of when given the opportunity.
He’s not just a stretch big; he’s a rebounding presence, too. His work on the offensive glass Saturday led to second-chance opportunities that helped Boston build and maintain momentum.
Defensively, there are still questions, and the Celtics will need to continue navigating those if they want to keep Garza in the mix. But his ability to contribute in matchup-specific situations - with scoring, screening, and rebounding - gives Boston an added layer of flexibility.
Earlier in the season, Garza, Anfernee Simons, and Sam Hauser often made up the first wave of substitutions, a trio that brought offensive punch but sometimes left the Celtics exposed on the perimeter. Even then, those lineups still managed to outscore opponents by 2.7 points per 100 possessions, despite a 116 defensive rating.
With Jordan Walsh recently moving into the starting lineup and Josh Minott shifting to the bench, the Celtics found another wrinkle by using Minott as a small-ball five. It’s one of several lineup experiments that have paid off for head coach Joe Mazzulla, who praised Garza’s readiness and physicality after Saturday’s win.
“I got a lot of respect for Luka,” Mazzulla said. “He changed the game for us.
It’s really a credit to the player development staff and to Luka for staying ready. He came out and changed the game with his physicality and offensive rebounds.”
Garza finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while his screens helped unlock a monster night from Payton Pritchard, who dropped 33 points and 10 assists in Brown’s absence. The Celtics dominated the glass, out-rebounding Toronto 17-9 on the offensive boards - a stark contrast to recent games against the Pistons and Heat, where Boston’s smaller lineups had all but waved the white flag in the rebounding battle.
That physical edge gave Boston a new look - one that could stick around. Late in the game, Mazzulla even paired Garza with Queta, a two-big lineup that produced a net-zero rating in limited minutes but offered a glimpse of the size Boston can throw at teams when needed. It’s a look that echoes last season, when Queta and Luke Kornet shared the floor with success.
The Celtics have leaned into their depth this year, and it’s paying off. Just the day before Garza’s breakout, Hugo González showed he could hold down minutes at center.
A few weeks earlier, Xavier Tillman Sr. stepped into a starting role and helped Boston to a back-to-back win in Cleveland with Queta and Derrick White out. Now, with Walsh battling illness and Brown set to return Monday against Indiana, Garza is back in the mix - and making his case to stay there.
Boston has now utilized all 13 active roster players - plus two-way big Amari Williams - in meaningful spots this season. That kind of rotation flexibility isn’t just rare; it’s a weapon. And it’s clear Mazzulla is willing to use it.
“I wanted to get Neemy in the game, and I didn’t want to take Luka out because of how well he was playing,” Mazzulla said. “It was just for two minutes there to see if they would change their coverage, make sure we rebounded.”
Garza’s performance on Saturday was a reminder of what can happen when preparation meets opportunity. For a Celtics team that’s chasing the top of the East and looking to build sustainable depth for the long haul, that kind of readiness might be just as valuable as a highlight-reel dunk or a buzzer-beating three.