‘People are making a big deal out of it’: Celtics’ Sam Hauser downplays his quick-release three-pointer from Game 1
Hauser’s viral three-pointer in the second quarter was caught and released in under 0.5 seconds.
MORE CELTICS
Sam Hauser aided in the Celtics’ rout of the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals in several ways.
The most talked about way in which he impacted the court on Thursday was his super quick-release three-pointer less than two minutes into the second quarter. Hauser caught and released the ball, passed to him by Jrue Holiday, in 0.47 seconds. The shot that got the internet talking about the player put Boston up 42-24 just 13-and-a-half minutes into the contest.
In talking about his no-dip toss, Hauser said he thinks people are blowing it out of proportion.
“I work on it every day in practice. You don’t really get an opportunity to shoot them in the game very often,” he told reporters during Saturday’s media day. “I maybe had one or two throughout this season. But that one just happened to be in the NBA Finals and people are making a big deal out of it.”
While the replay-worthy shot may not be a big deal to Hauser, it certainly took basketball fans by storm. Perhaps it was because he’s a bench player and not a household name compared to some of his teammates.
Hauser’s viral three-pointer is even more impressive considering the major slump he went through behind the arc during the Eastern Conference finals. The 26-year-old made just one three-pointer out of 14 attempts across the four-game series. To see a bench player with a role that varies on any given night come alive in a NBA Finals game is cause for praise.
That singular three-pointer was one of two Hauser made on the night, increasing his career Finals three-pointers made total to three (vs. the Golden State Warriors in 2022). He also logged four rebounds and an assist over 16 minutes on the parquet.
Defensively, Hauser quietly made his presence felt in the shadows. He found himself matched up against Mavericks stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on several occasions, and he clamped them down.
Hauser’s performance guarding two of the NBA’s brightest stars drew praise from Holiday.
“Even our white guys guard,” Holiday told reporters after Game 1.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com