Daniel Theis has career night vs. Wolves with 25 points, 16 rebounds

While Boston Celtics center Daniel Theis is usually the quiet engine of the team’s success, against Minnesota, he showed he can step up his game when called.

No Kemba Walker? No problem — the Boston Celtics had Shaq in his prime against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Or at least that’s what the absent point guard himself joked about the performance Daniel Theis put up in his absence, the German logging career highs in both points and rebounds after going for 25 and 16, reports the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach.

As the UConn product sat with a recently-drained knee bothering him, the Saltzigger native went off in his stead, joining teammates Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in scoring at least 25 points.

But the night was as much Theis’ as anyone’s; even Hayward — who shot a sizzling 12-of-17 on the night — has been here before.

It was a novel experience to be a dominating force for the 27-year-old big man, and one he clearly relished.

Even on a night when his own offense was clicking, Theis’ teammates were effusive with praise for how the 6-foot-8 center helped their games as well.

“I get a lot of buckets off Theis setting screens and sealing and stuff like that,” said Tatum (via MassLive’s Tom Westerholm). “I always make sure I say thank you.”

“I think the way that he plays just fits the other guys perfect,” head coach Brad Stevens agreed.

After a bit of an awkward start, Theis refocused himself — and Friday night’s explosion was the result.

Several highlight-worthy dunks were unleashed, and teammate Marcus Smart was quick to note the importance of Theis using the pick-and-roll to his advantage at producing them, exhorting his teammate to take note of its impact.

“It was just a good game for rolling,” Theis explained. “Our team did a great job finding me on rolls and late passes, and I cut through.”

Hayward, who arguably had the sexiest performance of the night, was equally effusive.

“He’s really unselfish, and by that, it’s not always passes,” the Indiana native noted.

“He just gives up his body a lot with his cuts, with his screens, sealing guys, letting us get open looks. He’s got a great feel for the game so he knows where to be at different points in time whether that’s rolling to the rim, half-rolling, popping. He’s a really good basketball player. And that’s just on that end.”

“Defensively he’s been our anchor all year. He’s really good for us,” added the Butler product.

Theis, who has averaged just 8.7 points and 6.4 boards per contest this season, has quietly been the anchor of the team with his unselfish, consistently intense play.

To see him able to step it up when his number is called was uncategorically impressive against the Wolves.

While we shouldn’t expect this sort of performance on the regular from the German big man given his role tends to be more in the background doing the dirty work that makes space for his more offensively adept teammates to operate in, it’s also promising to see how well he can adapt to a bigger role.

The Celtics will need more from their core players in the postseason, and the team just got an impressive data point in their favor with the performance Theis revealed against Minnesota.

Look for more experimentation with Theis in a bigger role against weaker opponents during the remainder of the regular season.

Using the 27-year-old as an offensive tool outside of his usual role could be an effective weapon against faster teams like the Houston Rockets that are accustomed to defending Boston’s wings, as well as against slower, traditional bigs without the mobility to keep up with Theis.

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