Boston Celtics: Takeaways from 98-86 Loss to Jazz

Gordon Hayward Slows

After opening the season on a 25-minute restriction, Gordon Hayward marked a big milestone in his return from ankle surgery, playing 39 minutes including the overtime period in Boston’s win over Toronto Friday.

Hayward had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and was a plus-18 against the Raptors. On Saturday, Hayward slowed, showing that even though he may not be on a minutes restriction anymore, he still hasn’t returned to peak condition.

In the second night of the back-to-back, Hayward played 26 minutes but scored just 7 points. He dished out three assists, but also had three turnovers

Utah’s offense, with Rudy Gobert running around setting screens and sprinting to the rim for dunks, requires a lot of rotational effort from its helpside defenders, especially when Jae Crowder and Joe Ingles are sharing the floor and the Jazz space the floor with shooters.

After hitting two crucial free throws to force overtime Friday and contributing to a major Celtics win, Hayward looked a step slower Saturday.

At one point it seemed like he might get it going after a nice finish in traffic, but then Hayward was blocked by Mitchell on his fast break dunk attempt and back-rimmed a three-point attempt before the game got out of reach.