Celtics lose Hayward for 4 weeks

The Celtics announced that forward Gordon Hayward will be sidelined for around four weeks after suffering a severe right ankle sprain in the Celtics’ Game 1 win over the 76ers in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 109-101 victory Monday night when he went up for a rebound and rolled his ankle as he landed on teammate Daniel Theis’ foot. He limped to the locker room and didn’t return.

Hayward played 34 minutes and scored 12 points on 5for-13 shooting with four rebounds before the injury, which the team described as a Grade 3 sprain, the most severe type.

He exited the Disney arena on crutches Monday night, and was spotted Tuesday morning walking on crutches with a boot on his right foot.

The timeline for recovery means Hayward will miss the rest of the first round at a minimum and possibly some of the second if the Celtics advance. He already planned to leave the bubble for a time if the team was still playing in September. Hayward’s wife is pregnant and is scheduled to deliver sometime next month.

With Hayward out, it could mean a shift to a three-guard lineup and more minutes for Marcus Smart, who has been filling the role of the Celtics’ sixth man. Smart played 32 minutes in Game 1.

Hayward started 40 games during the shortened regular season and averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 38% from 3-point range.

This ankle is the opposite one from when Hayward suffered a gruesome leg and ankle injury in the opening minutes of his first game as a member of the Celtics in 2017, forcing him to miss the remainder of that season.

The Celtics went 14-6 without Hayward this season.

Hayward has a player option on his contract for next season.

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