After Jayson Tatum’s overtime buzzer-beater secured a 125-124 victory for the Boston Celtics over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla highlighted a critical late-game misstep by center Neemias Queta that nearly cost Boston the win. Mazzulla suggested, with noticeable sarcasm, that Tatum owed Queta for the opportunity to clinch the game.

The sequence unfolded after Tatum missed a free throw with Boston leading by four points and just four seconds remaining in regulation. Queta then committed a puzzling foul on Nets star Julius Randle, setting in motion a series of events that allowed Brooklyn to tie the game and force overtime.

Randle sank his first free throw and deliberately missed the second, allowing teammate Mitchell Robinson—who is typically an unreliable free-throw shooter—to grab the rebound. Robinson was then fouled but missed both shots. The Nets’ rookie Mikel Brown Jr. capitalized on the chance by hitting a last-second three-pointer to force the extra period.

Mazzulla emphasized the avoidable nature of the foul, stating, “You prevent yourself from being in that position by not fouling 94 feet from the basket, so you don’t have to be in that situation.” Queta also has struggled with foul trouble during his time with the Celtics and fouled out of Tuesday’s game in just 16 minutes.

However, Queta showed improvement in Boston’s subsequent game against the Chicago Bulls on Friday, contributing 13 points, six rebounds, and committing only one foul over 20 minutes of play. Reflecting on his performance and the costly foul against Brooklyn, Queta acknowledged the need to be more disciplined, especially during critical moments.

“I think it’s just being solid and sound,” Queta said. “Those things can’t happen. At the end of the day, I think the team needs me out there on the court more than on the bench. So, I think just being able to understand the impact I bring on the court and be smart in those moments.”

As Queta continues to develop his role with the Celtics, both the coaching staff and the player himself appear focused on mitigating mistakes that can alter the course of close contests.