The Boston Celtics have officially ruled out veteran forward Gordon Hayward for Game 2 of their Eastern Conference finals series against the Miami Heat, to little surprise.
Hayward, who has been sideline for a little over a month with a grade three ankle sprain, was recently upgraded from “Out” to “Doubtful” for Game 2 vs. Miami, but without much expectation of suiting up on Thursday night.
While the Indiana native has been drawing closer to a return to action against the Heat in recent days, all signs coming from the organization point to a return later on in the series.
#NEBHInjuryReport update: Javonte Green and Gordon Hayward have both been downgraded to OUT. https://t.co/WhCem4Ir5Q
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 17, 2020
Hayward’s scoring, ball handling and general boost to the team’s depth will be a welcome addition to the Celtics as they seek to advance to the NBA Finals past a dangerous Miami outfit, and his mid-range game especially so against the Heat’s tendency to use zone defense.
While he won’t be playing tonight, a Hayward return isn’t likely far off — but if Game 2 is anything like it’s precursor, that return won’t come soon enough.
