It did not take long for Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez to make an impression with his new team after his NBA regular season debut on Friday night. Joe Mazzulla gave the 19-year-old the starting nod in the Celtics’ 119-113 loss to the Pistons on Sunday, giving him the assignment of hounding All-Star Cade Cunningham and other Pistons ball handlers.

Gonzalez held his own all night against Cunningham when matched up head-to-head, limiting the star guard to just three points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field, according to NBA.com tracking data. Cunningham finished with 25 points in the victory, but Gonzalez made life difficult for Cunningham with his ball pressure, energy, and physicality over 18 minutes.

The performance earned strong reviews from Gonzalez’ teammates after Boston’s thi

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