Overview
- In 23 minutes at Madison Square Garden, Gonzalez posted six points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals with a team-best plus-minus of +7 in Boston’s 105-95 defeat.
- Tasked frequently with guarding Jalen Brunson, he applied ball pressure throughout even as Brunson finished with 31 points, and the rookie downplayed his own night afterward.
- Coach Joe Mazzulla highlighted Gonzalez’s role understanding and effort, Jaylen Brown and Sam Hauser lauded his energy, and TV voices Blake Griffin and Stan Van Gundy praised his impact.
- With Boston’s wing rotation unsettled, Gonzalez looked like a frontrunner for regular bench minutes as Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh played sparingly and Josh Minott did not appear.
- The Celtics fell to 0-2 as recurring issues resurfaced, including 21 offensive rebounds allowed, 15 fast-break points and 23 points off turnovers, while Gonzalez’s three-point shooting remains a developmental focus.