Tuesday was a special night for Boston Celtics small forward Gordon Hayward and his family. It marked the first time Hayward played in a meaningful NBA game since fracturing his left ankle last year against the Cleveland Cavaliers on opening night. As expected, the All-Star swingman was nervous, had butterflies in his stomach, and was a little rusty.
However, the evening ended well for Gordon Hayward, who finished with 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field in 25 minutes of action in a Celtics home win over the Philadelphia 76ers. After the game, Hayward took to Instagram and thanked the Boston crowd for their love and support.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpBRlDVgfHs/?taken-by=gordonhayward
Hayward started the game but came off the bench to begin the third quarter, something Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said he's going to do for a while. Stevens wants Hayward to play in the fourth quarter, so giving Hayward some rest after halftime is a smart strategy. Boston has so much depth that the team has the luxury of being able to ease Hayward back into the swing of things.
The whole NBA community has to be happy for Gordon Hayward. He's one of the most likable players in the game, both on and off the court, and it's great to see him playing the game he loves once again.
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