In the Hornets' 114-144 defeat to Philadelphia, Hornets player Gordon Hayward made an official comeback after a gap of 54 days. He played 17 minutes off the bench, shooting 2-of-6 and scoring 5 points, 3 boards, 4 assists and 1 steal on 1-of-2 three-pointer. His last appearance dates back to Feb. 8, when Hayward played six minutes in a Game between the Hornets and Raptors with a sprained ligament in his left ankle.
Speaking about his return from injury, Hayward said: "I've been out for two months, we have four regular season games left and I will try to do my best. The Hornets are currently ninth in the East with 40 wins and 38 losses, and the Nets are tenth, and the two teams are likely to meet in the playoffs. Hayward's timely comeback is undoubtedly a major positive for the Hornets' forward line.
So far this season, Hayward has played in 49 games for the Hornets, averaging 32 minutes per game and averaging 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1 steal. He shot 45.9 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from three-point range, and 84.6 percent from the free throw line. He suffered a sprained right ankle last season and played only 44 regular season games.
In November 2020, Hayward signed first and then switched to the Hornets: the Green Army sent Hayward + 2 second-round picks, receiving the Hornets' 2022 protected second-round pick + $28.5 million deal exception. He signed the Hornets to a four-year, $120 million contract with a salary of $28.5 million for the 2020-21 season and $29.92 million this season.
A player who wants to get a big contract needs a little luck in addition to his own strength, and Hayward is undoubtedly the kind of player with good luck. In the 2017 offseason, Hayward left the Jazz, who played for seven seasons, to join the Celtics for four years, $128 million. After signing two large contracts of more than 120 million in a row, Thomas Jr. cried.
In the 2016-17 season, Hayward played his career best, averaging 21.9 points, 5.4 boards and 3.5 assists per game, shooting 47.1% from the field, 39.8% from three-point range and 84.4% from the free throw line. In the summer of 2017, Thomas Jr. helped the Green Army recruit Hayward, and as a result Hayward came, Thomas Jr. was traded by the team. Now they're finally joining forces at the Wasp...
Hayward's career in Boston has not been smooth, and on October 18, 2017, Hayward played his first game for the Green Army, and he only played for 5 minutes before suffering an ankle dislocation + tibia fracture, and the whole season was reimbursed. In his three seasons with the Greens, Hayward played in 125 games, averaging 13.9 points, 5.4 boards and 3.6 assists per game.
With the rise of the double probing flower, the Celtics' forward line is good enough that Hayward is no longer needed. In the 2020 offseason, at the age of 30, he jumped out of the last year's 34 million player options and signed a long contract with the Hornets. In the last six years, Hayward's highest attendance season has only played 73 regular season games.
Injuries are the biggest enemy of athletes, especially an ANTTA's two star players, Clay and Hayward. Clay returned to the field after 941 days, and Hayward has also stopped and stopped in recent years. Fortunately, Hayward can now make a comeback in time to help the Hornets hit the playoffs! Come on, Hayward!