Three takeaways from the Boston Celtics 112-109 win over 76ers
By Ryan Eggers
Gordon Hayward took another big step
Perhaps the most appealing part of Tuesday’s game is that Gordon Hayward looked and felt comfortable out on the court. We’ve seen sparks of this in games this calendar year, but it hasn’t really all come together for a complete game.
After notching 26 points, 4 boards, 3 assists and 6-7 shooting from deep, it’s safe to say that that complete game is finally here. Hayward drained some huge shots in the latter half, and worked well in tandem with both the bench and starting crew.
His 6 three-pointers were the most he’s ever made as a Celtic.
It’s been a rough recovery season for Hayward up to this point – averaging 11.1/4.6/3.4 in 26 minutes a game. His recent performances, including his 19-point Clippers game, are hopefully signs of positive things to come, though.
His numbers have been trending up since December:
Gordon Hayward is trending in the right direction:
— Chris Grenham (@chrisgrenham) February 13, 2019
December: 10.4 PPG, 37% FG
January: 11.5 PPG, 46.5% FG
February: 14.0 PPG, 56.4% FG
If Hayward can continue this move forward, he’ll definitely be a crucial piece to the rotation come this postseason. Seeing him thrive against a potential matchup in the 76ers is that much sweeter. It’ll also make his current contract a bit easier to swallow.