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Since joining the Boston Celtics this season, Luka Garza has carved out a role for himself in spite of the critics of his foot speed and defense, his hustle and 3-point shooting from the top of the key evolving into an important part of Boston’s toolkit in their frontcourt.
And the Celtics reserve center put those skills on full display against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday (Feb. 3) night, logging 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals while hitting a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla had praise for the Iowa alum after the Celtics’ 110-100 win, saying “Luka is able to give us advantages in different ways.”
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“Sometimes he’ll force a veer and get an offensive rebound,” added the Celtics coach. “Sometimes he’ll just get us open 3s.”
Feb 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Boston Celtics center Luka Garza (52) shoots over Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
“Our 3-point shot probably is really good with him screening,” said Mazzulla. “Tonight it was just his ability to pop and force two-on-ones that way, and so I thought we missed him in the first half on a couple.”
“The guys made an adjustment and got him some open looks in the second half, which forced them to go to different defensive coverages and allowed us to execute in different ways. So it’s really just taking advantage of the versatility that he has.”
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Luka Garza lives above the break for Boston when it comes to his 3-point shot
