It's Halloween night, so it's fitting that things almost got scary for the Boston Celtics. But instead of blowing a 24-point lead to the rival Philadelphia 76ers on Friday evening, the C's held on for a 109-108 win and improved to 3-3 with some help from rookie Hugo Gonzalez.

Although Gonzalez managed just five points and nearly fouled out in under 15 minutes of play, he shifted the momentum in favor of the Green Team.

The Celtics were on the verge of burying the Sixers in the second quarter before allowing a 17-6 run in the final four minutes of the first half. And while Boston was still up 11 points at halftime, it continued to struggle after the break, with its massive lead dropping to just two points with 3:32 remaining in the third quarter.

Then, Gonzalez subbed in. The 19-year-old immediately crashed the boards and wreaked havoc on the 76ers with his defense. In the final three minutes of the third quarter, he earned two rebounds, two points, and an effort foul on Sixers guard Quentin Grimes to prevent a transition dunk.

Gonzalez's effort was contagious, and his work in the third gave Boston a little more of a cushion heading into the final frame. The fourth quarter was more of the same for the 2025 first-round pick, as Gonzalez continued to foul yet was consistently making winning plays.

His two steals within a minute of one another early in the fourth quarter were especially crucial. They generated multiple open shots and even resulted in a made floater from Celtics sharpshooter Sam Hauser.

These little moments didn't decide the game, but they added up to a winning performance from Gonzalez. He was a plus-10 on the night, which was good enough for the second-best plus-minus rating from any player on either side.

How the Celtics escaped Philadelphia with a one-point victory

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In spite of Gonzalez's productive outing and Boston's double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, the Celtics nearly left Xfinity Mobile Arena with a loss. The C's led by one with 12 seconds to go, but coughed it up on what should've been a potential game-clinching possession.

The Sixers failed to capitalize on the critical mistake. Sixers star Tyrese Maxey couldn't hit on a tough floater, and Philly was forced to foul first-year Celtic Josh Minott on the other end in the hopes of getting the ball back.

Luckily for the Sixers, Minott missed both free throws, and they were gifted another opportunity with about three ticks left on the clock. The Celtics forced the Sixers into a panic, though, doubling and stalling Grimes to the point that the home team couldn't even get a shot off with the game on the line.

Following the tight win, Gonzalez found Minott to assure him that everything was going to be alright.

Similar to Gonzalez's foul-filled performance, the Celtics weren't perfect on Halloween night. However, the rookie showed unmatched grit, and the C's did enough to knock off the previously undefeated Sixers in hostile territory. And perhaps most notably for Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, effort never felt like an issue for Gonzalez or the rest of the Green Team.