The Boston Celtics lost their second straight game to start the season on Friday night, falling 105-95 to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The Celtics started strong before collapsing in the second quarter, getting outscored 42-14 and entering halftime down 20.
On the bright side, that allowed Joe Mazzulla to empty his bench and give rookie Hugo Gonzalez his first NBA minutes.
Boston’s first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Gonzalez lived up to the hype in his NBA debut. The 19-year-old guard from Spain logged 22 minutes in his first career game, finishing with six points (on 3-of-6 shooting), four rebounds and one assist.
Gonzalez was also aggressive on the defensive end with two steals, showcasing his athleticism and hustle.
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His performance earned plenty of praise from media members who were impressed with his game.
“Hugo Gonzalez gets after it defensively…This guy battles, and he’s gonna be a force on the defensive end for the Celtics,” Stan Van Gundy said on the TV broadcast after Gonzalez notched a steal. “Looks like, to me, Brad Stevens made another outstanding draft pick.”
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Former Celtics player Blake Griffin agreed during his postgame analysis.
“Hugo Gonzalez – my gosh. Kid earned himself some minutes tonight,” Griffin said. “He was fantastic…The kid was all over the floor…Celtics fans are gonna love him.”
Jaylen Brown also heaped praise on his new teammate after the game.
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“Hugo is looking great, man. Hugo’s playing with energy. He’s playing with fight. That’s the type of mentality that we need,” Brown said.
Gonzalez seems like the real deal, especially after playing like that on the road against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. He proved he was ready for The Association and deserves quality minutes going forward, especially if Boston continues to struggle.
