The Boston Celtics took a conservative approach to begin the preseason.
Luka Garza didn’t get the memo.
Facing the Cleveland Cavaliers, without stars Jayson Tatum, Paul George, or centers Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson, Garza got the starting nod for substitute head coaches Tony Dobbins and DJ MacLeay.
In the game’s opening 2:21, Garza picked up right where he left off last season. He grabbed an offensive rebound, knocked down a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer off an inbound pass from Hugo González,
and blocked Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen.
Garza carried that tenacity throughout Boston’s 124-113 win over Cleveland, and the second-year Celtic explained afterward that it’s the standard he intends to uphold night after night moving forward.
“That’s how we can help this team. That’s how you can make an impact every single night,” Garza told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin postgame. “Crashing the glass, creating second shots for our team. We’re a dangerous offense, so the more shots we can get, the better we’re gonna do.”
With the entire offseason spotlight shined on whether or not Queta or Robinson will be the starting five, Garza issued a reminder of his impact the very first chance he could. Garza’s ongoing battle for second chances plagued the Cavaliers and quickly became contagious among the rest of the Celtics. Every starter contributed to the team’s 21 offensive rebounds while Garza (4) himself nearly matched Cleveland’s total of six.
Last season, Garza made snagging second chances his forte as a first-year Celtic. He finished with 146 offensive rebounds, the fifth-most of any bench player in the league.
“It’s something I just learned when I was young,” Garza told reporters, per CLNS Media. “I’m a guy who wants the ball in my hands, and when I was younger nobody would throw it to me, so I had to go get it off the glass. So that’s what started it, and since then, it’s become who I am as a basketball player.”
Garza finished off the Cavaliers with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. He knocked down three 3-pointers and tallied three blocks in his 26 minutes on the floor.
Competing against veterans Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Allen, alongside reserves, newcomers and unproven players, Garza stood out. He didn’t take a single moment on the court for granted and did everything he possibly could to stay off the bench.
Coming to Boston fresh off a three-year stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he averaged just 6.3 minutes per game, Garza understands the value of making the most of every nod he gets.
“These opportunities don’t come around often,” Garza continued.
“All those guys tonight, I’ve been in that position. I’ve been an Exhibit 10 (contract), I’ve been a two-way, now I’m a rotation player. You just don’t get those chances all the time. So when they come, no matter who it’s against, you wanna take advantage of it. You wanna go out there, play as hard as you can, play free, and show what you can do.”
Garza was relatively unknown to Celtics fans when he arrived over a year ago. It took a season filled with the relentlessness that’s become his trademark for that to change. On Thursday night, Garza served as an example for those in Boston also fighting to prove themselves this upcoming season.
“That is my guy,” MacLeay told reporters, per CLNS Media. “Just the joy that he creates with the motor that he has. I don’t think you can replicate how hard he plays — it’s truly a skill. It’s a special ability that he has. He puts so much pressure on the defense with how physical he consistently is.”
“He just goes and goes and goes and goes and it’s great.”
With Queta and Robinson headlining the center rotation, Garza will have to earn every minute he gets in 2026-27.
Still, it’s clear he’s ready for the challenge.
