The night in TD Garden started to spin when Hugo Gonzalez He decided not to move away. Loose ball, struggle and the Spaniard’s first fight in the NBA. Face to face with Norman Powell, pushing, tense looks and a Garden that collapsed. There were no punches, but there was a message. He Spanish rookie of the Boston Celtics planted the flag and activated a team that was losing by 22 points and ended up winning 98-96 against the Miami Heat.
“It was fun. Anything that causes chaos and doesn’t cost us points…” celebrated Joe Mazzulla with a smile that explains many things about these Celtics. The hookup was emotional gasoline. Boston was stuck, 38 points at halftime, but came back from the locker room with a different face and a devastating third quarter, 36-15, which changed the momentum of the game.
From there, the comeback had a director and an executor. Payton Pritchardhappy in his role as sixth man, shook up the attack with 24 points. Derrick White reserved himself for the hot moment: a triple at 1:31 to make it 98-96 and the final block that closed the night. Miami, which had commanded authority in the first half, went more than two and a half minutes without scoring when everything was burning.
Victory for the Spanish team
Jaylen Brown supported the greens when they were at their worst, with 29 points. The Heat relied on Andrew Wiggins, 26, and an incisive Norman Powell, 24, but without continuity when it came time to finish.
González did not have a turbo night in numbers, 2 points and 3 rebounds, but he did have a great night in meaning. Their hookup was a warning of character and belonging. Mazzulla said it bluntly: creating conflict, without giving away points, also wins games. And these Celtics, second in the East and on a roll, no longer ask for permission. They can do everything. Even when the spark is lit by a Spanish rookie who does not hide.
The words of Joe Mazzulla
Joe Mazzulla Not only did he not hide his smile when remembering the connection between Hugo González and Norman Powell, but embraced it as part of his Celtics’ competitive DNA. “That was fun,” the coach summarized. convinced that those types of sparks also play. For the Boston coach, any situation capable of generating “chaos and conflict” without penalizing the team on the scoreboard is an advantage that It is convenient to squeeze, a way to shake up the game, turn on the flag and activate your team without crossing the line.
