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Nikola Vucevic’s 28 Off the Bench Fuels Celtics’ 148–111 Rout of Nets

The veteran center says he is still learning Boston’s offense as his sixth‑man role gains traction.

Overview

  • Nikola Vucevic delivered 28 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists on 9-for-13 shooting in 25 minutes, tying Jaylen Brown for a game high.
  • He said he is learning teammates’ tendencies and at times has overthought plays, yet felt the offense "was running pretty smoothly" in the win.
  • Vucevic and Payton Pritchard combined for 50 bench points, reinforcing Boston’s depth with Vucevic operating strictly as a reserve.
  • His stat line placed him in a recent Celtics bench tier with Sixth Man winners Payton Pritchard and Kevin McHale, per StatMuse.
  • Since joining Boston, he is averaging 12.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 48.1% shooting, with rotation decisions looming as Jayson Tatum nears a return and outside chatter speculates on a possible extension for the expiring three-year, $60 million deal.