This is the Play of the Celtics Season, and it Perfectly Captures What This Team Is

The play itself was amazing, but the players who pulled it off are what makes this play so special.

Feb 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) drives to the basket against Phoenix Suns guard Amir Coffey in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics were rolling, up 21 and in the midst of a massive 50-11 run that was breaking the game open in Phoenix. The Suns were desperate for anything that was going to give them momentum, and it looked like they were about to get it. 

Jamaree Bouyea picked up a loose ball and raced up the right slot. If he could finish this steal with a layup, maybe, just maybe, the Suns could recover and make this a game. 

The Celtics had other ideas. What followed is not only one of the highlights of the seasons, it’s a signature play that perfectly captures this season. 

It’s an incredible hustle play, which is perfect for a team that never quits on the floor. But more than that, it’s WHO made the play that makes this the play of the season. 

GET THAT 🤬 OUTTA HERE pic.twitter.com/xQHVL5Q0Ae

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 25, 2026

Baylor Scheierman’s effort was enough to slow Bouyea down. It let Ron Harper Jr. get into the play and get his timing right. Then Hugo Gonzalez got the ball, ran up the left slot, side-stepped, and finished. 

“Baylor does a good job of occupying, kind of slowing him down for a little bit and allowing Ron to sprint back and make the play,” Derrick White said of the play. “That's just this type of thing we talk about all the time, and it's a team effort every time down the court. So even in transition, like trying to get nothing easy, and so big time for both of them to sprint back and make that big play. It was a big momentum swing for us.”

It’s a culture play. The Celtics have a way of playing, and these guys, all of them, no matter who is on the floor, tend to make something happen. 

They started White, Scheierman, Harper Jr., Sam Hauser, and Neemias Queta. If I’d told you in October that this lineup was going to start a game, you’d probably ask how bad Boston’s record was and who in the top five they should draft. And they were up 28 at one point. 

But that's the thing about this team. That's why it is more than just a viral, “wow” kind of play. Scheierman was a key element to this whole play by hustling, getting back on defense, and slowing Bouyea down just long enough. Scheierman didn’t make a “business decision.” He wasn’t afraid of the potential highlight. He had a job to do and he did it to the best of his ability. 

Harper Jr. had a chance at the loose ball but the step towards it put him behind the play. But he didn’t just stop out of frustration, he put his head down and ran. Because of Scheierman’s effort, Harper Jr. could time his leap. He flew through the air looking like Julius Erving, floating with an extended arm until the ball appeared on a tee so he could swat it off the backboard. 

And then Gonzalez was there to swoop it up, taking the ball the other way, swerving around one defender, Euro-stepping his way across the lane for the soft finish. 

The play even had Scheierman being so caught up in the moment that he had to slap five with Harper Jr. after the blocked shot. 

The play itself is a season highlight. It will undoubtedly make it into the home jumbotron intros. And it was made by three guys no one expected anything from this season. An undrafted two-way guy, along with a 28th and 30th overall pick, making the play of the year. 

Joe Mazzulla summed it up best, saying, “Any time you see the guys impacting plays with each other, and impacting the transitions of the game as a team, it's something that should be celebrated.”