Celtics rookie Hugo González played hero Friday night in the closing seconds of overtime.
With 2.5 seconds left and Boston trailing the Nets by three points in overtime, González was on the bench as the Celtics prepared to run an inbounds play. But before the referee handed the basketball to guard Baylor Scheierman, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla made a late swap.
Mazzulla motioned to the bench, and González hustled to the floor and took the place of teammate Amari Williams. Mazzulla conducted his offense from the opposite sideline. When the whistle blew to begin the play, González sprinted to the corner and received the ball wide open for a look at three.
He drained it. Double overtime.
Down 3. 2.5 seconds left.
— NBA (@NBA) January 24, 2026
Subs in Hugo González off the bench.
González sends the game to 2OT.
💯 Level IQ coaching from Joe Mazzulla last night!
Boston would go on to defeat Brooklyn on the road. pic.twitter.com/Y6Hij0Eh3X
The Celtics went on to outscore the Nets 12–8 in double OT to win the game 130–126 and improve to 28–16 on the season. González finished the game with 10 points—his fifth career game scoring in double figures.
A fan at Barclays Center captured a perfect video that showed Mazzulla’s coaching wizardry from start to finish:
Incredible fan angle of the late Joe Mazzulla sub and Hugo Gonzalez 3-pointer to force 2OT in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/l6YRn59hod
— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) January 24, 2026
“That was a big time shot from the rookie,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown said after the game. “[González] has been playing well all season. And to see him make that shot for us to get a big time win, that was a big moment for us as a team. And a big moment for him, too.”
González, the No. 28 pick out of Spain in the 2025 draft, is averaging 4.1 points while shooting 38.2% from three-point range as a rookie.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
- Michael Jordan Shares Special Message for Bulls Great Derrick Rose Ahead of Jersey Retirement
- Warriors-Timberwolves Game Postponed After Federal Agents Kill Man in Minneapolis
- Warriors Could Look to Bring Back Former Golden State All-Star in Jonathan Kuminga Trade
- Ja Morant Out for at Least Three Weeks Due to UCL Sprain As Trade Deadline Approaches
This article was originally published on www.si.com as New Video Perfectly Shows Joe Mazzulla’s Savvy Move to Set Up Celtics’ Buzzer-Beater.
