Boston Celtics guard Gordon Hayward will be able to play with his team on what’s perhaps the biggest day of the NBA regular season.
According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Celtics coach Brad Stevens said Hayward is ‘good to go’ for the Celtics’ Christmas Day game against the Toronto Raptors.
Hayward has missed the past three games because of a foot injury. Per Bontemps, Hayward will be on a minutes restriction. Stevens said Hayward will not run “deep into the 30s or anything.” Hayward is also recently coming off a fractured left hand injury that sidelined him for 13 games.
With Hayward playing, he’s another scorer and ball handler for a quality Celtics offense. Hayward is the Celtics’ fourth-leading scorer, averaging 17.5 points a game.
The Celtics average 111.2 points a game, and Hayward is one of five players averaging double figures. A solid rebounder, Hayward is also averaging a career-high 6.1 rebounds.
As Hayward continues the season, it’ll be important for him to manage this foot injury. According to MassLive.com’s John Karalis, Hayward’s MRI showed there was no structural damage in his foot.
With the Celtics ranked second in the Eastern Conference, they have the offensive depth to be a contender. According to NBA.com, they rank 16th in field goal percentage as well as in 3-point field goal percentage.
