Celtics F Hayward has surgery on broken hand
BOSTON >> Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward had surgery on his broken left hand, a move that is expected to keep him out for about six weeks.
The team sent out a release late in the first quarter of Monday’s game against Dallas that Hayward had successful surgery “to repair a fourth metacarpal fracture in his left hand.”
Hayward broke his hand in a collision with Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge in the second quarter of Saturday night’s game in San Antonio. He left the game and did not return.
“He was frustrated. He was down,” coach Brad Stevens said at the team’s morning shootaround. “But this isn’t like last time.”
Hayward, 29, missed all but five minutes of the 201718 season after breaking his leg in the first quarter of the opener against Cleveland.
Forward Jayson Tatum also said Hayward seemed frustrated after the latest setback.
“I feel bad for him. He was just getting back to being himself,” Tatum said. “It’s a bummer.”
Hayward returned last season and played in 72 games, most of them off the bench, and averaged
11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds — far short of his numbers before the injury. He had been closer to his peak performance in the first seven games this season, averaging 19 points, four assists and a careerhigh seven rebounds before the latest injury.
“He’ll be out a little bit and go from there, and he’ll come back,” Stevens said before the game. “This is not a season-ending thing. There’s a silver lining whenever you miss games is you’re more fresh in the end. He’s playing great, but there’s other guys that are ready to step up and fill the void.”
His teammates know how well he was playing.
“The crazy thing is he was playing unbelievable,” forward Enes Kanter said. “I said in the beginning of the season, ‘He’s back, 100%. And he’s going to shock the world.’ He was shocking the world. Now he’s got that injury. But I know he’s going to come back and be amazing again.” TIMBERWOLVES 120, PISTONS 114 >> Andrew Wiggins scored 33 points as Minnesota spoiled Blake Griffin’s return for Detroit.
Griffin played for the first time this season, coming back from hamstring and knee issues. Derrick Rose also returned to the Detroit lineup from a strained hamstring, but both he and Griffin played limited minutes.
Griffin scored 19 points but Rose added just six.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 25 points for Minnesota, which snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Pistons.
Minnesota shot 8 of 10 from 3-point range in the first quarter and led 41-26, and the Pistons never cut too far into the deficit until the fourth.
A 3-pointer by Detroit’s Tony Snell made it 109-104, but Towns drew a double team at the other end and passed to an open Wiggins, whose 3-pointer restored the lead to eight.
Minnesota led by 19 in the third before the Pistons ran off eight points in a row. Towns ended that quarter with a driving dunk that put the Timberwolves ahead 92-81.
Minnesota was playing without point guard Jeff Teague (illness).
GRIZZLIES 113, SPURS 109 >> Jaren Jackson Jr. had 24 points as Memphis put a damper on Tony Parker’s jersey retirement by beating San Antonio.
Parker’s uniform was lifted to the rafters alongside fellow Big Three members Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili following the game. They led San Antonio to four of its five championships and have the most wins (541) of any trio in league history.
Jackson was involved in two pivotal plays with the Grizzlies up 111-109 in the final minute. His 3-pointer with 25.5 seconds was overturned when replays determined the Grizzlies forward was out of bounds. Jackson then blocked DeMar DeRozan’s ensuing drive to maintain Memphis’ two-point advantage.
CELTICS 116, MAVERICKS
106 >> Kemba Walker made a trio of key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished with 29 points, Jaylen Brown added 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Boston beat Dallas.
Daniel Theis chipped in with 11 points and Brad Wanamaker had 10 for Boston, which won its eighth straight game since a season-opening loss against the 76ers.
Jayson Tatum shot 1 for 18 from the field and scored only five points for the Celtics.
Luka Doncic led the Mavericks (6-4) with 34 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Maxi Kleber had
15 points with eight boards. Kristaps Porzingis scored just four points on 1-of-11 shooting for Dallas.