Young Celtics role player proved that he's not afraid of the biggest moments

The story of the Celtics' statement victory over the Thunder on Wednesday night was Jaylen Brown and his MVP-caliber performance on both ends of the floor as he outdueled Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But there were tons of bright spots and positives for Boston up and down the roster, and perhaps none more notable than the play of Baylor Scheierman.

Scheierman has had a breakout year, earning a rotation spot, then a starting spot, and now holding onto a key bench role, even with the team at full strength. Still, there has definitely been some skepticism about the 30th overall pick in 2025 and his ability to hold up in a playoff setting against the league’s best competition.

It’s one thing to just outwork everyone in the regular season when half the teams in the league are just going through the motions, exhausted, or outright tanking. But on Wednesday, there was an NBA Finals-like buzz in TD Garden with the defending champs in town, and with Sam Hauser struggling, Scheierman was called into action early on.

Baylor Scheierman was one of the best players on the floor

And boy did he ever rise to the challenge, giving the Celtics 11 points and 5 rebounds on 4-8 shooting while tying for a team-high +11 in his 19 minutes. He knocked down three huge three-pointers and had a putback dunk in the fourth quarter on a perfectly timed corner crash that was one of the defining moments of the game.

On top of that, he was his typical ball-of-energy self on defense, taking on the SGA assignment plenty, and holding up against the reigning MVP and the other Thunder stars.

This performance went way beyond the box score, though. It was the fire and intensity that Scheierman brought to the table, along with a poise and calmness to balance it out. This was surely one of the biggest games and wildest atmospheres that he has ever been a part of, and he didn’t shy away from the moment at all, looking like a confident veteran who was no stranger to this kind of game.

Celtics need role players to step up in playoffs

One of the biggest knocks on the Celtics as a viable contender is that they’ve been getting strong production from a roster chock-full of unproven players on minimum contracts and rookie deals. They’ve burst onto the scene this year and outworked and outexecuted the competition. But can we really expect this to hold up in the playoffs?

If Wednesday night was any indication, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Almost all of the role players rose to the occasion, but Scheierman stood out and made it hard for Mazzulla to take him off the floor.

He’s quickly earning the trust of his coaches and teammates, and with the real battles still to come, he certainly looks like a foxhole guy who you’d be happy to go to war with.