Celtics Rookie Makes Franchise History With Huge Game Vs. Raptors

Boston Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez is only 19 years old. But after just two months in the NBA, he’s already starting to hit his stride and realize his potential.

Gonzalez has flourished over his last two games, helping the Celtics to back-to-back wins. He logged a career-high 29 minutes on Friday night against the Miami Heat, notching 10 points, eight rebounds, two steals, one block and a plus-22 off the bench.

Boston’s first-round draft pick was even better on Saturday, recording his first career double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, one block and a career-best plus-37 in 28 minutes on the road against the Toronto Raptors.

In the process, he became the second-youngest player in Celtics history with a double-double. He trails only current teammate Jayson Tatum, who notched one in his NBA debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017.

While Gonzalez is still searching for consistency, he’s started to take on a bigger role in December as he’s earned Joe Mazzulla’s trust. In eight games this month, he’s averaging 7.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 “stocks” and a plus-10.6 in 17.4 minutes per game.

After his last two performances, Gonzalez now leads all NBA rookies in plus/minus this season at plus-111, making a huge impact off the bench (especially defensively) and showing major improvement.

Gonzalez will look to keep building on his recent strong performances against the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. Boston is heavily favored against the struggling Pacers, so he should get plenty of opportunities to contribute and keep proving himself.