It hasn’t been easy for first-year Celtics center Luka Garza this season, but the 26-year-old has found a silver lining on Boston’s bench as part of the Stay Ready crew.
Garza, like most non-returning players from last season’s Celtics roster, didn’t have anything guaranteed when Boston signed him to a two-year, $5.5 million contract in the offseason. Even with Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford — the team’s three most-used centers in 2024-25 — all gone, the message from Celtics head
coach Joe Mazzulla and the organization was clear: minutes had to be earned, and patience was essential from the start, especially for Garza.
Four straight DNPs hadn’t slowed him entering Saturday night. With Jaylen Brown sidelined by illness, the 6-foot-10 backup finally got the call against the Raptors in Toronto.
“I got a lot of respect for Luka,” Mazzulla said after Boston’s 112-96 win. “I think he changed the game for us.”
Garza made his preparation evident. He logged 25:43, playing 20-plus minutes for the first time in over four weeks (since Nov. 18), and delivered one of his best performances in a Celtics uniform: 12 points and a season-high 10 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass — two short of setting a franchise record held by Paul Silas (11). It was his first double-double of the season and paired with rookie Hugo González who also recorded a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds), the two became Boston’s first bench duo to post double-doubles since Evan Turner and Tyler Zeller in 2016.
In the fourth quarter on Saturday night, Garza shadowed Toronto’s bigs, hovering over their shoulders to corral three offensive rebounds and pitch in to Boston’s 23-17 margin victory in second-chance points. He finished with a plus-22 rating — his highest this season — and served as a testament not only to himself in Mazzulla’s eyes, but to the entire Celtics coaching staff and their work behind the scenes.
“It’s really a credit to the player development staff and Luka to just staying ready and trusting our process of winning,” Mazzulla said. “When he came out, I thought he changed the game during the stretch he played with his physicality and his offensive rebounds. He helped us come out as the more physical team tonight.”
Garza’s extra-mile effort went a long way for the Celtics, who dominated the boards 38-28 and outscored Toronto 54-32 in the paint. Mazzulla leaned on Garza to execute his role effectively, ensuring that Brown’s absence never became a decisive factor. By creating second-chance opportunities and punishing Toronto’s weaker interior, Garza helped mask Boston’s struggles from beyond the arc — the Celtics went just 12-for-39 (31%) from three — and more importantly, secured the team’s third consecutive win on the second night of a back-to-back.
“We knew what type of matchup (came with) Garza,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković said. “… We did not do enough of boxing out and fighting against those guys.”
The mindset required of all Boston newcomers is one Garza has embraced all season. He’s been candid about the eagerness that comes with staying ready on the bench, watching close contests either slip away or fall in Boston’s favor. Last month, after matching a season-high 16 points against the Magic, Garza elaborated on the experiences he and many Celtics reserves share from their Stay Ready seats.
“We all wanna get out there,” Garza said back on Nov. 9. “We all play this game for a reason. We want to be on the floor, and we know that when we are on the floor, to make an impact, we have to play hard — and that’s a non-negotiable. Effort is a non-negotiable. That’s what we try to bring every time we step on the floor and do the best with what we’ve got.”
Regardless of not seeing the floor in over two weeks, Garza stayed as ready as a backup quarterback, prepared to step in whenever Boston needed him.
That readiness has been especially important with Neemias Queta established as the team’s go-to big and Jordan Walsh riding a recent hot streak, leaving Garza in a challenging spot for consistent minutes.
His scattered playing time has kept the fifth-year veteran on his toes, a reminder that no matter the starting lineup or rotation on any given night, Mazzulla and the coaching staff can make changes when necessary. That mindset has been an integral part of Boston’s formula for success as the current third seed in the Eastern Conference.
