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Following Thursday morning's practice session, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens spoke to reporters with regards to Gordon Hayward's status. Though a final decision has not been made yet, Stevens believes Hayward will be able to play in back-to-back sets.
#nebhinjuryreport: Brad Stevens says he assumes Gordon Hayward will play both games of this back-to-back, but that has not yet been decided.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 8, 2018
Hayward, now 28 years of age, suffered a gruesome ankle/leg injury on opening night last season, which forced him to the miss the remainder of that campaign. His recovery process was long and arduous, but he managed to re-join his teammates at the beginning of this season.
Butler touched on his rehabilitation process in a recent interview with ESPN. The former Butler Bulldog says his lowest point came when he learned that he would need a second surgery.
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“I was miserable,” Hayward tells ESPN. “To go back into a walking boot after all that progress — back on crutches. That was my lowest moment.”
Thankfully, Butler was able to recover from what could have been a career-ending injury — a true testament to the Boston's medical team.
In his nine appearances with the Celtics this season, Hayward has racked up averages of 10.1 points on 40.2 percent shooting from the field (32.4 percent from beyond the arc), 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and just under one steal (0.9) in 25.0 minutes per outing.
Hayward and the Celtics will be back in action on Thursday night, when they'll face off against the Suns. Tip-off inside Talking Stick Resort Arena is set for 9:00 p.m. EST. Following Thursday's game, the Celtics (6-4 and second in the Atlantic Division) will wrap up their season-high five-game road trip with games in Utah and Portland.
