Boston Celtics First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Neemias Queta scored the Celtics’ first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 24 times in 81 starts, or 30% of the games they started. Jaylen Brown was next with 19. The Celtics made the game’s first field goal in 53% of their 89 games and won 42% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Celtics in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any BOS player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for BOS | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neemias Queta | 81 | 24 | 30% | 16 | 20% |
| Jaylen Brown | 78 | 19 | 24% | 10 | 13% |
| Derrick White | 84 | 18 | 21% | 7 | 8% |
| Sam Hauser | 55 | 11 | 20% | 6 | 11% |
| Payton Pritchard | 50 | 6 | 12% | 4 | 8% |
| Jordan Walsh | 25 | 3 | 12% | 1 | 4% |
| Jayson Tatum | 22 | 3 | 14% | 1 | 5% |
| Baylor Scheierman | 21 | 2 | 10% | 0 | 0% |
| Josh Minott | 10 | 1 | 10% | 1 | 10% |
| Luka Garza | 7 | 1 | 14% | 1 | 14% |
| Hugo González | 3 | 1 | 33% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Celtics scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 89 | 47 | 53% |
| Home | 45 | 26 | 58% |
| Away | 44 | 21 | 48% |
| Regular season | 82 | 43 | 52% |
| Playoffs | 7 | 4 | 57% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neemias Queta | 81 | 34 | 42% |
| Luka Garza | 4 | 1 | 25% |
| Amari Williams | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Xavier Tillman | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Nikola Vucevic | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Team | 89 | 37 | 42% |
How the Celtics’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 3-pointer | 30 | 34% |
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 26 | 29% |
| Layup | 20 | 22% |
| Dunk | 13 | 15% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for BOS | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Brown | 74 | 25 | 34% | 14 | 19% |
| Kristaps Porzingis | 49 | 23 | 47% | 10 | 20% |
| Derrick White | 87 | 13 | 15% | 6 | 7% |
| Jayson Tatum | 80 | 11 | 14% | 8 | 10% |
| Jrue Holiday | 70 | 10 | 14% | 4 | 6% |
| Payton Pritchard | 3 | 3 | 100% | 1 | 33% |
| Al Horford | 51 | 3 | 6% | 1 | 2% |
| Luke Kornet | 17 | 2 | 12% | 0 | 0% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Celtics?
Neemias Queta, with 24 of the Celtics’ first baskets in 2025-26 (30% of their 81 starts), ahead of Jaylen Brown with 19.
How often do the Celtics score first?
The Celtics made the first field goal in 47 of 89 games in 2025-26 (53%): 58% at home and 48% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Celtics?
Neemias Queta took 81 of the Celtics’ 89 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 42% of them.
Is Neemias Queta a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 30% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.