Garza produced zero points (0-2 FG, 0-2 3Pt) and one block in nine minutes during Saturday's 109-100 loss to the 76ers in Game 7 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Garza was elevated into the starting lineup, presumably to deal with the size of Joel Embiid. Although it may have made sense on the surface, Garza was simply no match for Embiid on either end of the floor and ended up playing just nine minutes. The Game 7 loss closes out what was an indifferent season for Garza. While he was mostly a part of the rotation, his role fluctuated and his playing time was typically reliant on the availability of either Neemias Queta or Nikola Vucevic. Across 69 regular-season appearances (six starts), Garza averaged 8.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 16.2 minutes per contest.
Garza will start Saturday's Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first-round series against Philadelphia, Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston reports.
The 27-year-old center will get the starting nod over Neemias Queta in Saturday's do-or-die matchup. Garza started six games in the regular season, during which he averaged 12.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 22.7 minutes per showing.
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Celtics' Luka Garza: Not starting Game 1
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Garza is not in the Celtics' lineup against the 76ers for Game 1 on Sunday.
Garza started in Boston's regular-season finale against Orlando on April 12, when he played 38 minutes and finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, one assist, one steal and three three-pointers in a 113-108 win. He will retreat to the bench for Sunday's contest and serve in a backup role behind Neemias Queta and Nikola Vucevic, though Garza may have a hard time finding some playing time given that rotations tend to shrink for the playoffs.
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Celtics' Luka Garza: Dominates in unlikely win
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Garza supplied 27 points (10-18 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist and one steal across 38 minutes during Sunday's 113-108 win over the Magic.
Garza was a force to be reckoned with, helping lift Boston to an impressive victory over Orlando. This performance puts a cherry on top of what has been a solid regular season for Garza, albeit as the second- or third-string center on most nights. With Neemias Queta (toe) and Nikola Vucevic (finger) both likely to return for the playoffs, Garza will almost certainly resume his role as a depth piece.
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Celtics' Luka Garza: Starting sans Queta
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Garza is in the Celtics' starting lineup against the Magic on Sunday.
With Neemias Queta (toe) sidelined, Garza will be in Boston's starting five for the sixth time this season. Garza's last start took place March 30 against the Hawks, when he played 28 minutes and finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one block in a 112-102 loss.
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Celtics' Luka Garza: Fills box score off bench
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Garza had 14 points (6-13 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-3 FT), six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal over 16 minutes during Friday's 144-118 win over the Pelicans.
The Celtics held Neemias Queta to just 13 minutes Friday, which was likely done in an effort to preserve the standout big man ahead of the playoffs. Garza hadn't appeared in any of Boston's prior three games, which went hand-in-hand with the return of Nikola Vucevic, and Garza may move back out of the rotation once the postseason begins.
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Celtics' Luka Garza: Back to bench vs. Miami
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Garza is not in the Celtics' starting lineup against the Heat on Wednesday.
Garza excelled in his spot start against the Hawks on Monday, when he played 28 minutes and finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, one assist, one block and two three-pointers in a 112-102 loss. He'll revert to his usual bench role for Wednesday's contest due to the return of Neemias Queta (thumb). Garza should continue to see meaningful minutes off the bench until Nikola Vucevic (finger) is cleared to return.
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Celtics' Luka Garza: Near double-double in spot start
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Garza posted 20 points (8-9 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, one assist and one block over 28 minutes during Boston's 112-102 loss to Atlanta on Monday.
Garza made his fifth start of the season (and first since Feb. 8 against New York) due to the absence of Neemias Queta (thumb). Garza helped keep things close in the first half with 13 points (eight in the opening quarter) and finished as the Celtics' second-leading scorer behind Jaylen Brown (29 points). It was also Garza's second 20-plus-point game with Boston. He will likely revert to the bench for Wednesday's contest against the Heat, assuming Queta is cleared to return. Garza has averaged 17.7 minutes per game since March 1, with most of that time coinciding with the absence of Nikola Vucevic (finger).
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Celtics' Luka Garza: Joining first unit
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Garza is starting Monday's game against the Hawks, Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston reports.
Neemias Queta (thumb) has been ruled out for Monday's clash, which opens the door for Garza to make his fifth start of the 2025-26 campaign. His last start dates back to Feb. 8 against New York, when he recorded six points and three rebounds in 15 minutes.
Garza provided 22 points (9-12 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-5 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and one steal across 27 minutes during Friday's 117-112 victory over the Grizzlies.
Despite coming off the bench, Garza was one of the most productive players for the Celtics in this tight win and ended up delivering a new season-high mark in scoring. Don't expect the big man to suddenly become a reliable scoring weapon for Boston, let alone a player you should target in fantasy ahead of the playoffs. This was likely a one-off performance for the big man, who has scored at least 15 points in just nine of his 60 appearances in 2025-26. Garza was averaging just 8.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in March before this 22-point explosion.
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Celtics' Luka Garza: Drops 15 points in win
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Garza amassed 15 points (5-6 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), one rebound and three assists in 15 minutes during Saturday's 111-100 win over the Wizards.
Garza was productive off the bench, scoring 15 points, falling just one point short of his season high. With Nikola Vucevic (finger) on the sideline, Garza has cemented himself as the primary backup behind Neemias Queta. While this was an encouraging performance, as a player outside the top 280 in seven games over the past two weeks, Garza's value is limited to deeper formats.
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Celtics' Luka Garza: Adds 10 points in win
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Garza contributed 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-6 3Pt), three rebounds, two blocks and one assist over 18 minutes during Friday's 120-100 win over the Mavericks.
Garza saw at least 15 minutes of action for a third consecutive contest due to Nikola Vucevic suffering a fractured finger in the opening quarter. Garza turned in a solid outing on the offensive end, scoring in double figures for the first time since Feb. 4. He also chipped in at least two blocks for just the third time this season. Vucevic is expected to miss at least one month with the finger injury, so Garza is likely to operate as Neemias Queta's primary backup for the time being.
Garza racked up seven points (3-6 FG, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds and one assist across 20 minutes during Monday's 108-81 win over the Bucks.
Garza saw meaningful minutes, with Neemias Queta given the night off for rest purposes. Although Garza had been trending up prior to the trade deadline, the acquisition of Nikola Vucevic put an end to any fantasy upside he might have had. For now, he should be looked at as nothing more than a schedule-based streaming consideration.
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Celtics' Luka Garza: Muted role continues
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Garza contributed three points (1-4 FG, 1-3 3Pt) and three rebounds in four minutes during Tuesday's 97-81 win over the Suns.
Garza continues to play third fiddle at center following the acquisition of Nikola Vucevic prior to the trade deadline, playing limited minutes behind both Vucevic and Neemias Queta. In four games over the past two weeks, Garza has averaged just 1.5 points and 1.0 rebounds in 3.6 minutes per contest, leaving him well off the fantasy radar.
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Celtics' Luka Garza: Headed to bench
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Garza will come off the bench for Wednesday's game against the Bulls, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.
Garza started the past three games for the Celtics, but head coach Joe Mazzulla will switch things up for Wednesday's match. As a reserve this season, Garza owns averages of 8.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest.
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Celtics' Luka Garza: Starting Wednesday
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Garza is in the Celtics' starting lineup against the Rockets on Wednesday, Lachard Binkley of SI.com reports.
With Nikola Vucevic (recently traded) yet to make his Celtics debut and Jaylen Brown (hamstring) and Sam Hauser (thumb) both sidelined, Garza will make his second start of the season Wednesday, when he'll form a frontcourt with Neemias Queta. Garza has logged double-digit points in three of his last four outings, and over that span he has averaged 10.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 threes and 0.8 steals over 18.3 minutes per game.
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