Gordon Hayward apparently is doing … better?
The Celtics forward has been out of action — and outside of the Walt Disney World bubble — since spraining his ankle Aug. 17 during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs. Boston at the time estimated Hayward would be out approximately four weeks.
Brad Stevens on Tuesday issued an update on Hayward, who is progressing in his recovery but apparently might take longer than expected to return.
“I think he’s on his timeline, that we thought initially,” Stevens said during an appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” show. “But we haven’t seen him here in the last 10 days. So, a lot of it is … we have a trainer with him, and they’re working every day. So, a lot of it’s over-the-phone communication.
“So, we feel good about it. He’s gonna come back, and when he gets back, he’ll have to quarantine for however long, and then just see how close he is. We don’t anticipate him being available anytime before the four weeks, and I think four weeks might even be aggressive. But, we’ll see him when he gets back, and we’ll see how it’s going.”
Whether that’s a positive or negative update remains up for debate. In any event, It’s hard to imagine the Celtics having Hayward, who soon will return to the bubble, back in the lineup anytime before the NBA Finals, if they make it that far.
Boston currently holds a 1-0 edge over the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Thumbnail photo via Mike Ehrmann/Pool Photo/USA TODAY Sports Images
