The Boston Celtics improved to 16-11 on the season on Friday night with a big win at TD Garden over the visiting Miami Heat, who have been a bothersome rival of Boston’s during the entire Erik Spoelstra era, in all its iterations (2008 to the present).
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White — Boston’s two best players not named Jayson Tatum — were the headline-grabbing performers on the night. White led the way with 33 points and nine three-pointers, whereas Brown dropped 30 and passed Tommy Heinsohn on the Celtics’ all-time scoring list.
The night also belonged to 19-year-old rookie Hugo González, however, as Hugo didn’t back down from the bright-lights pressure that comes with playing Miami. In fact, he relished it.
As the game became more physical, aggressive, and — ultimately — a classic litmus test “separting the men from the boys”, González proved he belongs.
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When you play against the Heat, your toughness (or lack thereof) is revealed for all the world to see, which is why González shined on Friday night. The kid doesn’t back down from anyone, not physically, mentally, or emotionally. Even when he makes mistakes, Hugo just doubles down on his effort and returns to battle.
It’s no wonder that The Ringer’s Bill Simmons labeled this an “important Hugo game” in a post to X on Friday.
González’s transition to the NBA and his mighty-high ceiling have been an exhilarating development for the Celtics, especially when paired with the explosive emergence of Jordan Walsh.
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Walsh and González are a combined 40 years old. Think about how special Boston’s wing play is moving forward, once Tatum returns to the fold. You have Jaylen and Jayson in their primes, with Walsh and González supporting them as high-energy, high-toughness bench wings who absolutely wear down opponents with effort, versatility, athleticism, length, and overall craziness.
Brad Stevens’ savvy drafting has taken care of the Celtics’ wing situation for the foreseeable future. Boston should do everything in its power to hold onto González, as there will be plenty of NBA GMs calling Brad about the Spaniard in the months and years to come.
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González is a perfect fit for Celtics basketball. He thrives in the manic crowd of TD Garden, he thrives in Joe Mazzulla’s psychopath culture, and he thrives in the physical, high-energy style of play that the Celtics are leaning into under Mazzulla.
Hugo is a worthy Celtic, and let’s hope he stays one for most, if not all of his career.
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Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
