Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond acknowledged Neemias Queta’s career night after Boston’s 114-98 win on Sunday at TD Garden. “He played great. I think it was a career night for him… I told him after the game, ‘Build on this. Use this as momentum. You should feel good about yourself,’” Drummond said.
Drummond detailed the challenge Queta posed on the glass. “They made the right plays by giving him the ball, and he did what he’s supposed to do by finishing shots and getting offensive rebounds… weird bounces would just fall in his hands or get tipped in somehow,” he explained.
He reflected on his role as a veteran mentor. “Every time we play, he asks me questions… what do you think about this or how can I do this better? I have a different kind of respect for him for that,” Drummond said.
Rebounding advice has been a key area of guidance from Drummond. “Just rebounding advice… looking for those corners, the wings, and before he finishes, being strong around the rim. Today, he had a good game rebound, scored well… now he says, ‘I just got to add the three-ball like you,’” he said.
Drummond shared insights on how Queta developed his approach. “At the beginning of last year, he was just asking about positioning and knowing your guys. I told him I watch my teammates after practice to see what types of misses they have… that’s how I became one of the best rebounders to play,” he noted.
He also addressed the team’s missed opportunities in the game. “Tyrese had at least four or five wide-open threes… he missed a floater. Nine out of ten times he makes those. It’s just one of those days… we had chances to win, but we didn’t seize the moment,” Drummond said.
Looking ahead to their matchup against San Antonio, Drummond emphasized team focus. “Winning the game. Obviously, he’s the best player on this team, but our focus is finding out how to beat this team. They’re great, we’re great… we’re going to play to the best of our ability,” he said.
