BOSTON — The last time the Boston Celtics played the New York Knicks, Hugo Gonzalez made his NBA debut. A brutal second quarter put the Celtics in a 20-point hole heading into the half. Gonzalez played 15:25 in the second half, checking Brunson and helping Boston make a near-comeback.
At the end of the night, a sullen Gonzalez walked over for post-game media and was asked about his defensive talent. He wasn’t keen on the question
“Well, I would say Jalen Branson dropped 30 points today, so it's not the day to say that I'm a great defender,” Gonzalez said with a straight face.
Tuesday night in Boston was a different story.
“I mean, it obviously feels better,” Gonzalez said. “Feels better to win.”
Hugo Gonzalez spearheaded Celtics' comeback win over Knicks
Gonzalez—the No. 28 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft—was thrown into an eerily similar situation. Back in October, Gonzalez’s energy helped turn the game around. On Tuesday, Joe Mazzulla looked to him with that same goal in mind.
When Gonzalez checked in to begin the second quarter, Boston was already down by 11 points. New York started the game on a 17-4 run, well on its way to a potential blowout.
That’s when Gonzalez made his magic.
Karl-Anthony Towns had been finding a rhythm. He was posting up Neemias Queta (and even Jaylen Brown) with ease. But he hadn’t seen the rookie yet.
Gonzalez, a 6-foot-6 wing, matched up with Towns, a 7-foot brute with five All-Star appearances and three All-NBA nominations to his name. From there, all chaos broke loose.
Though he was only credited with a single steal, Gonzalez’s ball pressure on Towns in the post was enough to alter the energy in all of TD Garden. “Whenever we put Hugo in, he just did a good job of getting underneath him,” said Mazzulla. “Just kind of being physical with him.” Turnover after turnover, stop after stop, Gonzalez turned the game on its head.
By the time halftime hit, Boston was up by six. In the second quarter alone, the Celtics outscored the Knicks 37-20. Boston notched 12 points off six New York turnovers and poured in 20 paint points on 10-of-10 shooting.
And with every offensive rebound, pickpocket, and physical defensive play, Gonzalez led the charge.
“I mean, I don't know,” Gonzalez said with a smile when asked if he enjoys playing defense. “I guess it feels good. Just feel the momentum of the game. What is asked of you, what your team is trusting you to do. You have a job, and you were capable of doing it. They're putting that trust in me. Putting that trust in a lot of guys here.
“Trying to contribute to winning is the truly great feeling.”
Hugo Gonzalez isn't afraid of anyone
That’s the role Gonzalez has been tasked with for much of this season. He may not play 20 minutes a night, but he’ll check into a game for a quick spurt of defensive intensity.
In the Celtics’ win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, he entered the game for a (roughly) minute-long stint, dove on the floor to steal the ball from De’Andre Hunter, then nailed a three on the other end.
Even when guarding the league’s top stars, Gonzalez doesn’t flinch.
“I don't really get intimidated against these types of players,” he said. “As I said before, they're best players in the world, so you just gotta not feel intimidated, but don't underrate them and them at any point, because they can spark up and make plays.”
Against New York, Towns and Brunson were his primary targets. He battled Towns in the post possession after possession, yet when the time came, he seamlessly switched onto Brunson, who is averaging 27.7 points this season.
“Some of the best players in the world,” Gonzalez said. “Just try to be relentless, to guard their tendencies. And that's one thing you can do. I mean, what can I say, these guys are amazing. We have to use our tools, too, because we're a really, really good team, too. So just try to fight.”
And those tendencies are the keys to the castle.
“You got to lock in,” said Gonzalez. “Knowing who you guarding is a key piece. It's the basic thing you need to know for guarding. Obviously, when you're guarding a center, and you switch to a point guard that is ball-dominant, and he wants to get a basket, it changes, but you just gotta get locked in and be prepared for it.”
Per Jordan Walsh: Hugo Gonzalez is a dog
This is who Gonzalez has always been. While with Real Madrid last season, he wasn’t a regular face in the rotation. Yet when it came time to square off against Olympiacos and Evan Fournier, a top-10 EuroLeague scorer last season, Gonzalez, the teenager, got the assignment.
“He's got good defensive instincts, which most younger players don't have,” said Mazzulla. “I think it just comes from being well-coached and playing in a league where you have to play team defense. And you're constantly in rotations, you're in one-on-twos, you're physical at the point of attack, you have to really understand spacing. So, I mean, he's just been well coached and has played high-level basketball for a long time. I think that just gives him his defensive instincts. And he pays attention to detail and has an understanding of tendencies.”
Now in Boston, it’s been more of the same. Brunson. Cade Cunningham. Tyrese Maxey. Franz Wagner. Donovan Mitchell. Towns. He’s guarded everyone.
And the work he does behind the scenes is what puts him in a position to do so.
“I think I just see him being a dog,” said Jordan Walsh. “It's just like every day, everywhere, you just see the way he works out. It's kind of like he's just zipping. So, it's also cool to see. I love when he gets in the game. Last time we played New York, he did a great job on Brunson. And so, he obviously did the same thing this time. I feel like he did a great job. Him and Josh came and gave great minutes. Were amazing contributors. They made the difference in the game.”
It’s been like that all season.
“Ever since I’ve played with him, he's been that scrappy guy who wants to guard everybody, get all the rebounds, and just affect the game,” Walsh said. “So, it's all about trying to keep him in that mindset.”
Although Gonzalez sees it differently.
“You said Jordan called me a dog?”
“I mean, he’s the real dog,” said Gonzalez. “He's been making plays and being an example for me of what I need to be, to be on the court, and to be active. He's been tremendous. I'm just trying to follow him, just trying to get on the court with the things he does. If at any point he gets low, I’ll try to be there for him. He will be there for me, too, whenever I'm having a bad game.”
Gonzalez pulled the Celtics out of the dirt, and Walsh finished the job. His offensive rebounding spree in the final few minutes of the game, alongside Josh Minott’s rebounding and shot-making, kept the Knicks at bay.
Boston pulled out their fourth win in five games—all four of which have been against top-six teams in the East—thanks to their contributions.
The Celtics are hungry. Gonzalez is hungry. And they’re ready to show it.
“I think that today was a great day to show that we're a really serious team. That we want to play defense as a team,” Gonzalez said.
“Today was a day that proves it.”