One of the biggest questions this season for the Celtics has been whether Gordon Hayward would ever round into the form that made Boston give him a max deal two summers ago.
Coming off a traumatic ankle injury in the opener last season, Hayward has struggled to find his rhythm and playing speed this season. When he’s been good, so have the Celtics, and when he hasn’t, Boston has at times struggled to find ways to fill that void.
The good news for Boston right now is that Hayward has looked as good as he has all season the last two games, first with a 30-point outing in a blowout win over the Warriors on Tuesday and 12 points and five assists against the Kings on Wednesday. His 11th and 12th points on the evening were big ones, as Hayward gave Boston the lead with two seconds to play, taking the ball coast-to-coast and hitting a fading jumper on the baseline over Buddy Hield.
GORDON HAYWARD FOR THE LEAD! https://t.co/Hmse2ZEpg9
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 7, 2019
With Kyrie Irving out, it was Jayson Tatum that spent much of the fourth quarter leading the way on the ball, but when Hayward took the inbounds pass and saw he was getting no pressure, he decided to take it himself.
Hayward playing more confidently is huge for the Celtics, who need his scoring punch off the bench and for being able to have flexible rotations for Stevens come playoff time. We’ll see if Hayward can sustain this play through the stretch run, but for now it’s encouraging for Boston.
