Morning sports update: Gordon Hayward acknowledged he’s ‘not all the way back yet’
Also: A GIF of Danny Ainge and Mike Zarren celebrating, Julian Edelman's old coaches weigh in, and more.
The Celtics emerged triumphant over the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors on Wednesday night, winning 117-108 at TD Garden. Kyrie Irving scored 27 and recorded 18 assists, having a hand in Boston’s final 25 points of the night.
Kyrie with yet another dagger three in crunch time, earning himself tonight’s @JetBlue Play of the Game! https://t.co/2GbqR2d4I8 https://t.co/XASoVFUoiU
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 17, 2019
Meanwhile, the Bruins were in Philadelphia, where they lost to the Flyers, 4-3.
Gordon Hayward talked about where he is in his recovery: After suffering a gruesome injury on opening night last season, Gordon Hayward has been working tirelessly ever since to get back to where he was: the All-Star free agent that the Celtics courted in the summer of 2017.
But as Hayward admitted in a recent article by Bleacher Report’s Yaron Weitzman, he still has some distance to go. Much of it is down to pure confidence.
“I think most of that is probably from a lack of confidence in going to the basket and challenging bigs—especially at the beginning of the year,” Hayward told Weitzman of his occasional lack of aggression. “I think that’s the last part that’s not all the way back yet.”
One specific area where the 28-year-old is still building up again is in his jumping.
“Moving horizontally, I’m definitely starting to feel like I felt a couple years ago, but vertically I’m still not as confident as I want to be, and I think some of that is a deterrent when I go to the rim.”
But as Hayward noted, he’s improving all of the time, even if it’s not a purely linear progression. The latest glimpse of good news was on Wednesday night, when Hayward came off the bench to score 18 points in 24 minutes. His efficient shooting and five assists – second on the team behind Kyrie Irving – showcase a glimpse at what the Celtics could start seeing more often.
More from Boston.com:
- Kyrie Irving says he called LeBron James after the Celtics’ loss to the Magic
- 5 things to know from Tom Brady’s latest press conference
- Here’s what the Patriots said about trying to stop Tyreek Hill
- 3 takeaways from the Bruins’ 4-3 loss to the Flyers
- Elite offenses paved the way to conference championships for the four remaining NFL playoff teams
- Bob Costas exiting longtime home at NBC Sports
- Patriots preparing for anything in rematch with Patrick Mahomes
- Kyle Van Noy had some advice for a vocal Tom Brady critic
- How Peabody elementary students created the viral Lego portrait of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick
Stop with the scrappy underdog claims
: Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy is not having it with fans (or Patriots players) claiming that “nobody believed in them.”
“Nobody ever said the Patriots suck and nobody ever said they can’t win games,” wrote Shaughnessy, “but Brady’s charge has played well locally as the ever-defensive and easily slighted Patriot Nation rises with gusto to defend the GOAT and his teammates . . . against a charge that was never levied by anyone in the first place.”
Are you Mike Zarren or Danny Ainge in this GIF? Zarren, the Celtics’ assistant general manager, and Ainge, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, had slightly different reactions during the win over the Raptors.
I love everything about this!!!
I am obviously more like @mikezarren than like @danielrainge while watching the games, especially as exciting as yesterday’s battle with the Raptors. pic.twitter.com/raDR08klFZ
— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) January 17, 2019
What Julian Edelman’s coaches over the years had to say about him: Not surprisingly, Julian Edelman has always been a clutch performer on the football field. Just ask the coaches he had in high school and college. That’s exactly what WEEI’s Ryan Hannable did.
The Revolution signed a homegrown player from Hamilton, MA.
I’m told the New England Revolution have completed the signing of U.S. U-20 and Indiana University forward Justin Rennicks to a Homegrown Player contract. #NERevs #MLS
— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) January 17, 2019
Bill Belichick is not impressed.
Belichick has been there before 🤷♂️😂 pic.twitter.com/laTFoKZOzP
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 15, 2019
On this day: In 1971, the Baltimore Colts won Super Bowl V over the Cowboys, 16-13. The game was notable for the late field goal from Colts rookie kicker Jim O’Brien, who nailed the 32-yard attempt to complete Baltimore’s fourth quarter comeback. It also remains the only Super Bowl in which the MVP went to a player (Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley) on the losing team.
Daily highlight: The Celtics showed off elite ball movement prior to Marcus Smart’s finish.
https://twitter.com/celtics/status/1085727462854553600
