Nikola Vucevic’s immediate reaction to an encouraging debut in Boston

The Boston Celtics continue their strong streak as a recent roster adjustment has yielded immediate results. Boston extended its winning streak to six games Friday night, and Nikola VucevicHis debut with the Celtics quickly became the central story in a dramatic comeback win against the Miami Heat.

Boston’s recent moves reflect a clear postseason focus, prioritizing balance and size as the Celtics fine-tune their rotation during a crucial stretch of the season.

Vucevic made his debut for the Celtics against Miami and helped stabilize the lineup during a critical turnaround at TD Garden. Boston erased a 22-point deficit after trailing 59–38 at halftime to secure a 98–96 victory. The play offered an early glimpse of how the rotation might work moving forward. The comeback underscored Boston’s resilience and showed how quickly a new addition can make an impact in high-leverage moments.

The veteran center finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench, recording a double-double in his team debut. He also added four assists and posted a plus-11 rating, the second-highest mark on the roster. His inside play proved valuable as Boston surged in the third quarter and regained control of the game.

After the victory, Vucevic addressed his first night in Boston and how the on-court chemistry developed during his return.

“Most importantly, I’m glad we won. I felt pretty comfortable out there, I think, as the game went on, and the guys felt comfortable with me.”

“Most importantly, I’m glad we won. I felt pretty comfortable out there, I think, as the game went on, and the guys felt comfortable with me.”

Nikola Vucevic talks about how he felt in his Celtics debut 🗣

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— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 7, 2026

Vucevic’s presence addresses a longstanding need for frontcourt depth. Moving away from the guard-heavy look that included Anfernee Simmons, Boston added a traditional player who can secure possession late and create cleaner looks. His size, vision and composure helped stabilize the offense at key times.

Early returns suggest the adjustment could pay dividends quickly. The veteran big man, in his 15th NBA season, has already integrated himself into the rotation with minimal practice time. With the Celtics sitting in the No. 2 seed after Friday night’s win and looking ahead to the postseason, an early comfort level could prove important.