Celtics announce unusual starting lineup vs. Raptors

TORONTO — The Celtics will start Derrick White, Baylor Scheierman, Jayson Tatum, Neemias Queta, and Luka Garza on Wednesday night when they face the Toronto Raptors.

It will be Garza’s first start of the season and Scheierman’s second. Paul George, fresh off a 36-point outing against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night, is out with illness.

The Celtics will start with a double-big lineup for the first time this season. Garza is averaging 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game, while shooting a team-best 52% from three. Queta has started the last six games since coming off the bench to begin the year.

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Garza, for one, is happy to get the chance to play double-big.

“It just gives me another avenue to get on the floor, especially with the bigs that we have and the depth that we have,” Garza said last week of the double-big lineup. “So for me, it’s something I’m going to commit to and buy into trying to be the most effective at that position.”

Scheierman, meanwhile, is averaging 5.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 20 minutes per game, and has also been among the team’s most reliable three-point shooters, hitting 45.2% of his attempts from beyond the arc.

For the Raptors, RJ Barrett, Collin Murray-Boyles, Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley, and Ja’Kobe Walter will start. The Raptors are without both Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes.

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Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics have regularly shifted starting lineups this season

On Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks, Mike Conley got his first start of the season, which he later revealed to CelticsBlog was a decision made by Jayson Tatum and Derrick White.

On Sunday morning, Mazzulla walked into the Celtics’ team meeting and asked the room who should start; Jordan Walsh started in 6 of the Celtics’ first 9 games, while Hugo Gonzalez got the chance in three of them.

“He was like, ‘So who’s starting?'” Conley recalled. “He left it up to his players. And JT is like, ‘Mike, me…,’ and gave the starting lineup. I’m like, it’s real.”

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In addition to Wednesday’s starters, Sam Hauser, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh, Mitchell Robinson, and Conley have all…

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Publish date : 2026-11-11 23:47:00

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