Spaniard Hugo Gonzalez shines for Celtics in Antetokounmpo's comeback

With 18 points and 16 rebounds, Spanish rookie Hugo Gonzalez had his best night in the NBA in the Boston Celtics' resounding 108-81 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, who got Giannis Antetokounmpo back.

Here are the top scenes from a day of just four NBA games:

After nearly six weeks on the sidelines, Antetokounmpo suited up again in his bid to return the Bucks to playoff contention.

The Greek, sidelined since Jan. 23 with a calf injury, was on the court for only 25 minutes but it was enough for him to be Milwaukee's leading scorer with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

No other offensive weapons emerged around the two-time MVP for the Bucks, who remain in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, outside the playoff picture.

Unexpectedly, the night belonged to Hugo Gonzalez, a 20-year-old forward who was already earning the recognition of the aristocratic Celtics based on defense and dedication.

On Monday, the Real Madrid junior showed his offensive qualities by scoring a season-high 18 points and rounding out an outstanding performance with another personal best of 16 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 35 minutes of play.

Gonzalez, chosen 28th overall in the 2025 draft, had so far averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15 minutes.

The Spaniard's recital, with other contributions such as Payton Pritchard's 25 points off the bench, compensated for the absence of the stellar Jaylen Brown.

The Celtics remain in second place in the East, only surpassed by the Detroit Pistons and can still get even stronger for the playoffs if they get their leader, the injured Jayson Tatum, back.

Garland makes Clippers debut

In another return to the court, Darius Garland made his debut in a Los Angeles Clippers uniform in a 114-101 win over a Golden State Warriors still without Stephen Curry.

Garland, traded in February from the Cavaliers in exchange for James Harden, had been out of action since Jan. 14 because of a foot injury.

Starting off the bench, the point guard scored 12 points in 23 minutes of play for an offense led by Kawhi Leonard, who added 23 tallies.

The Denver Nuggets, meanwhile, secured a tight 128-125 win against the Utah Jazz in which there were as many as 22 lead changes on the scoreboard.

Canadian Jamal Murray was the absolute protagonist of the victory with 45 points, eight 3-pointers and eight assists while Nikola Jokic had 22 points and 12 rebounds.