Just when Gordon Hayward's splendid start is turning out to be one of the season's top feel-good stories, things took a 180-degree turn when the Boston Celtics forward fractured his left hand against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night.

Despite losing Hayward in this game, the Celtics went on to pummel the Spurs, 135-115, en route to securing their first win in San Antonio since 2011. After the matchup, head coach Brad Stevens addressed his star player's status, via Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.

“Every year you go through stuff, where different things happen, and different guys go down … This one doesn’t feel nearly as bad as it did two years ago. He’ll be back. He’ll be off for a few weeks or a month or whatever he is.”

Stevens went further by stating that surgery is likely to shorten Hayward's return timetable. The Celtics forward will see a specialist on Monday to help decide on whether such a procedure is still required.

In seven games for Boston this season, Hayward has averaged 20.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists on 56 percent shooting from the field and 44 percent from long distance.

Hayward's loss is a tremendous blow to the team but, as a silver lining, the Celtics aren't short of ammo in their offensive artillery. Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown are all capable playmakers who could be trusted for buckets.

The streaking Celtics own the NBA's best record at 7-1 and are tied with the surging Los Angeles Lakers.