BOSTON — Boston Celtics rookie Hugo González is hard on himself. And even though he’s a 19-year-old who’s still getting used to the NBA and the United States, he doesn’t give himself any grace, which became apparent at the end of the third quarter of the Celtics’ 112-105 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.

With 30 seconds remaining in the third frame, Pistons guard Jaden Ivey got by González for a quick layup. Soon after this seemingly routine play, González slammed his hands on the ball in frustration as he went to collect it for the inbounds, producing an impressive sound clearly heard on the broadcast and at TD Garden.

González then brought the ball up to halfcourt, where he was met by Pistons veteran Caris LeVert, who immediately disrupted the Celtics wing’s dribbling. LeVert was able to knock the ball loose with ease and dunk it on the other end for two, making the score 85-79 in Detroit’s favor with 20 seconds left in the third.

As LeVert slammed an easy basket home, González laid on the floor and held his head in shame before getting back up. He had got there by diving for the ball after LeVert knocked it free.

The Madrid native was visibly upset following the four-point turnaround, and that continued when he returned to the bench and punched a chair. Celtics guard Derrick White caught this and consoled the youngster, telling González to stick with it.

When asked about this moment during a Wednesday afternoon practice, González spoke highly of his elder teammate.

“He’s an incredible player and also an incredible person,” he said of White. “Really great teammate, always looking for the guys next to him, especially me. He’s helped me a lot and those type of moments just show the type of person and type of player he is on and off the court.”

Hugo Gonzalez on Derrick White going over to him and trying to lift his spirits after he made a few mistakes in Monday’s game:

“He’s an incredible player. He’s an incredible person.” pic.twitter.com/FJEbHDLzhC

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) December 17, 2025

Even when González goes through his unavoidable growing pains as a rookie, it’s evident that the Celtics believe in him. The 2025 first-round pick is averaging almost 12 minutes per game to go along with 3.6 points (on 51.7% shooting) and 2.2 rebounds.

For comparison, the newest Celtics starter, 21-year-old wing Jordan Walsh, averaged just 9 minutes per outing during his rookie season and played in 9 games — which is already 12 less than González this season.

Although the roster situations were different, the fact that González is on the right path remains. If he continues to show intense effort on both ends of the floor and listen to his more seasoned teammates, the passionate rook should be on his way to a successful NBA career.

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