How rookie Hugo Gonzalez helped snap the 76ers’ undefeated streak

ByNBAUSA



It’s Halloween, so it’s fitting that things almost got scary Boston Celtics. But instead of blowing a 24-point lead to the rival Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, the C’s held on for a 109-108 win and improved to 3-3 with some help rookie Hugo Gonzalez.

Even though Gonzalez scored just five points and nearly fouled out with less than 15 minutes to play, he shifted the momentum in favor of the Green Team.

The Celtics were on the verge of burying the Sixers in the second quarter before allowing a 17-6 run in the final four minutes of the first half. And while Boston still held an 11-point halftime lead, it continued to struggle after the break, with a huge lead dwindling to just two points with 3:32 left in the third quarter.

Then Gonzalez threw in. The 19-year-old immediately crashed the boards and wreaked havoc on the 76ers with his defense. In the final three minutes of the third quarter, he had two rebounds, two points and a foul on Sixers guard Quentin Grimes’ attempt to prevent a layup dunk.

Gonzalez’s effort was contagious, and his work in the third period gave Boston a little more of a cushion heading into the final frame. The fourth quarter was more of the same for the 2025 first-round pick, as Gonzalez continued to foul but was consistently winning.

His two steals a minute apart early in the fourth quarter were especially crucial. They generated more open shots and even resulted in a made floater from Celtics sharpshooter Sam Houser.

These little moments didn’t decide the game, but they contributed to Gonzalez’s winning performance. He was a plus-10 on the night, which was good enough for the second-best plus-minus rating of any player on either side.

How the Celtics escaped Philadelphia with a one-point victory

Despite Gonzalez’s productive outing and Boston’s double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, the Celtics nearly left Xfinity Mobile Arena with a loss. The C’s led by one with 12 seconds left, but coughed up what should have been a potential game possession.

The Sixers failed to capitalize on a critical error. Sixers star Tyrese Maxey couldn’t hit a difficult swimmer, and Philly was forced to foul first-year Celtic Josh Minott at the other end hoping to recover the ball.

Fortunately for the Sixers, Minot missed both free throws, and they were given another opportunity with about three ticks on the clock. The Celtics panicked the Sixers though, doubling and stopping Grimes to the point where the home team couldn’t even get a shot off with the game on the line.

After the narrow victory, Gonzalez found Minott to reassure him that everything was going to be okay.

Much like Gonzalez’s terrible performance, the Celtics weren’t perfect on Halloween night. However, the rookie showed unparalleled grit, and the C’s did enough to put it away previously undefeated Sixers in enemy territory. And perhaps most importantly for Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula, effort was never an issue for Gonzalez or the rest of the green team.





2025-11-01 03:30:00

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