Following the Boston Celtics win over the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night, Celtics veteran forward Gordon Hayward discussed the game-winning jump shot he hit with just 2.0 seconds remaining in regulation. Hayward, who recorded 12 points and five assists just a day after scoring 30 points and dishing four assists on the Golden State Warriors, only felt relief (quote transcribed by the Associated Press):
It felt good more than anything because I almost lost us the game with the foul. I was trying to get that one back for us. More than anything, just happy for our team and we found a way to win these last two games, especially with what we were going through. It’s been a roller coaster and we want to be on an up when we get to the playoffs.
Hayward fouled Kings shooting guard Buddy Hield, who finished Wednesday’s game with 23 points on 4-of-9 shooting from three-point range, on a three-point attempt with just 7.6 seconds left on the clock and Sacramento down by three. Hield hit all three free-throws before Hayward raced down the court unimpeded and hit a fall-away jumper near the baseline.
“Everyone was tight on their man,” Hayward told reporters following the game. “It was almost just like 1-on-1. The lane kind of cleared out and I was able to make the move.”
It was a special moment for Hayward in a trying season and one that teammates recognized as important for the talented playmaker, given his battle to return to All-Star form following last season’s horrific leg injury.
Starting forward Marcus Morris rightly noted that Hayward’s willingness to take the final shot took confidence.
It shows you the confidence he still has. It’s building and building. A lot of people are trying to write him off and say he’s not going to be who he was. As a player, that’s tough.
Confidence that he may not have had in the beginning of the season, proving the Celtics 111-109 win over the Kings to be another marker of his progression.
