Celtics’ Gordon Hayward Shows Off Athleticism With Chase-Down Block

Gordon Hayward is back on the court nearly a year after suffering a gruesome ankle/leg injury in his regular-season debut for the Boston Celtics.

After making his official return Friday night in Boston’s first preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets, Hayward played in front of C’s fans at TD Garden for the first time since last September on Sunday night.

While most fans expect Hayward to score a lot of points and shoot well from the outside this season, he could make a stronger impact defensively than most people realize.

His chase-down block of Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb in the third quarter was an example of that:

Hayward finished with four points on 1-for-7 shooting, but he did contribute four rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in 21 minutes. Boston beat Charlotte 115-112.

The Celtics will continue their preseason Tuesday night in Boston against the Cleveland Cavaliers.