Neemias Queta made a premature exit during Portugal’s FIBA World Cup Qualifying victory over Spain on Friday, departing in the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury.
In transition, Queta hobbled with his left ankle in the air with 9:17 remaining in regulation. He powered through the pain long enough to make it to the other end of the floor and throw down a monstrous right-handed dunk, catching the attention of NBA Twitter.
Queta, who dominated with a 16-point, nine-rebound performance against
an NBA-experienced Spain squad, was in the midst of finalizing an elite performance. He shot 50 percent from the floor, went a perfect 6-for-6 from the line, and tallied two steals in Portugal’s 95-89 win over Boston Celtics teammate Hugo González.
But the anticipation for Queta’s availability against Georgia on Monday was quickly halted. The extent of the 27-year-old’s injury remains unknown, as does his readiness for Portugal’s next matchup in Matosinhos, according to head coach Mário Gomes.
“We still don’t know if he has any problems or not, but we decided not to take any risks. Zero risk. Not only because we have a game on Monday, but also because it’s his life and, for me, as a coach, the players’ health comes first. When there is a risk, we never do anything that jeopardizes the players’ health to win a game,” Gomes told reporters, as translated from Portuguese, per A Bola’s Miguel Candeias.
Gomes continued, sharing that Portugal’s medical staff determined there was enough concern to warrant pulling Queta in the fourth quarter.
“When there is a risk, we never do anything that jeopardizes the players’ health to win a game. The physiotherapist and the doctor told me there was a real risk, so we decided not to use him anymore,” Gomes said.
This offseason, Queta secured a four-year, $56 million extension with the Celtics following the biggest breakout of his career. He played a critical role as a first-year starting center during Boston’s (mostly) Jayson Tatum-less season and did not disappoint.
After logging 75 starts in 76 appearances, Queta’s likelihood of returning as Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla’s starting center this upcoming season remains high. Therefore, taking every necessary precaution is essential with Boston’s 2026-27 season opener a little more than seven weeks away.
