NBA Notes: Celtics, Neemias Queta, Thunder, Alex Caruso, Patrick Beverley

Celtics

Neemias Queta has quietly answered Boston’s biggest question in the middle, even if one part of his game continues to bother him.

After the Celtics moved on from Kristaps Porzingis and watched Al Horford and Luke Kornet depart in free agency, Queta stepped into the starting role and has delivered consistent production on both ends, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive.

The lone blemish has been at the free-throw line, where Queta is shooting 61.2 percent after entering the season as a 71.3 percent career shooter.

“I can get better,” Queta said. “It’s been a tough year for me at the line. That’s unacceptable. I’m too good of a shooter to shoot that bad.”

Terada notes that Queta’s emergence has been even more important with backup bigs Luka Garza and Xavier Tillman falling out of the rotation. When Queta rests, coach Joe Mazzulla has leaned into smaller lineups, often using Josh Minott and wings to cover the middle.

Thunder

Alex Caruso did what Alex Caruso does, even in defeat.

The veteran guard was one of Oklahoma City’s standouts in Saturday’s NBA Cup loss to San Antonio, according to Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. With the offense sputtering, Caruso helped stabilize things late, recording seven points, three rebounds and two steals in eight fourth-quarter minutes.

Caruso finished with 11 points on efficient shooting, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals, and the Thunder outscored the Spurs by 22 points during his 24 minutes on the floor. It was another reminder of how much Caruso impacts games that do not always show up in the headline.

International

Patrick Beverley is headed back to Europe.

The longtime NBA guard has reached a contract agreement with Greek club PAOK, reports Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops.net. Beverley is expected to arrive in Thessaloniki to finalize the deal pending a physical.

Beverley last played in the NBA with Milwaukee during the 2023-24 season and spent last year in Israel. His move comes after a turbulent offseason. Beverley was arrested last month in Texas and charged with assault of a family or household member, according to reports, an incident that remains pending.

The on-court chapter now shifts overseas, as Beverley looks to extend his career in Greece.