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Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball against Hugo González #28 of the Boston Celtics during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 02, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Boston Celtics may have unearthed yet another gem: Hugo Gonzalez.
During Monday’s 108-81 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics rookie dropped a career-high 18 points, 16 rebounds and three steals and was a +27 on the floor. The Spaniard became the first Celtic since Larry Bird to post those numbers.
The game marked just the third start of the season for Gonzalez, who filled in for All-Star wing Jaylen Brown, who was ruled out with an illness.
Hugo Gonzalez Shines Against Bucks
Besides his massive offensive production, Gonzalez held his own defensively while matching up with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Per Second Spectrum data, Hugo Gonzalez held Antetokounmpo to 1-of-4 shooting when matched up with the two-time MVP.
After his career-best night, Gonzalez said he was determined to fill the big void left by Brown, and wanted to ensure there no drop off in the Celtics excllence.
“We’ve just got our standard and we want to maintain it every single game,” he said, via Celtics.com. “We don’t like to make excuses.”
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla praised the youngster for being ready.
“We want to validate work ethic, we want to validate the process by trusting all 12, 13, 14, 15 guys that are in the game,” Mazzulla said of Gonzalez.
“And when you can validate that through playing time and execution and development, I think you just kind of have that (competitive character).”
Celtics Fans Praise Brad Stevens
Celtics fans and analysts alike couldn’t stop praising front-office boss Brad Stevens for drafting Gonzalez with the No. 28 pick in last year’s NBA Draft.
“Hugo Gonzalez is going to have a long career as a rotation wing, just because he hustles and defends,” wrote Keith Smith. “And he’s getting better by the game with all the skill stuff too. The sky really is the limit for this kid.”
“Brad Stevens can’t keep getting away with it,” wrote Underdog NBA, praising Stevens’ ability to find gems late in the NBA Draft.
Last July, Stevens explained why the C’s drafted Gonzalez.
“We’ve been watching Hugo for a long time…He’s got all the intangibles of a winning player,” said Stevens.
The Celtics (41-20), on a three-game winning streak, will next face the Charlotte Hornets (30-31) at home on Wednesday night. Brown and starting center Neemias Queta are expected to re-join the team after missing Monday’s game.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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