BOSTON – Heading into the Boston Celtics’ Friday evening matchup in opposition to the Toronto Raptors, Sam Hauser hadn’t recorded a dunk within the NBA. He was 0-for-1 on dunk makes an attempt. However in his second-straight begin, he exploded, notching three dunks in a single sport.
“I haven’t had that many dunks in a sport since highschool,” Hauser mentioned after the sport.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla deadpanned Hauser’s slamathon was “a new thing,” noting he’s by no means damaged out any slams in observe.
For sure, the Celtics bench went bananas when Hauser threw it down.
“Once you don’t do one thing fairly often, and whenever you do, it will get everybody [excited],” Hauser mentioned. “Even once I see different individuals do issues, it will get me excited. So, I’m glad that they confirmed some emotion, and it’s cool to see them celebrating one thing I did.”
A 3-dunk evening was the right method to cap off an unimaginable Celtics win, and Jayson Tatum was significantly baffled by the exhibiting.
“I believe you noticed our response— we have been caught off guard for positive,” mentioned Tatum. “However we have been fairly pumped and excited for him as a result of I’ve by no means actually seen Sam try this.”
Contemporary off of a clutch win over Toronto on Wednesday evening to clinch the two-seed within the East, the Celtics didn’t maintain again on Friday evening. Down two starters and Malcolm Brogdon, a number one Sixth Man of the 12 months Candidate, Hauser led the group in scoring.
He poured in a career-high 26 factors on 10-of-16 taking pictures from the ground and 6-of-12 taking pictures from behind the three-point line, main Boston to a blowout victory.
“Sam is an enormous a part of our group and what we’re attempting to perform,” Tatum mentioned post-game. “It’s only a testomony to how arduous he’s labored, particularly this offseason and this season, to be ready for moments like this.”
Boston’s depth has allowed them to persevere by absences, giving them some leeway in relation to preserving the well being of their prime gamers. Hauser’s means to step up and play an enormous offensive function has been essential to the group’s success.
Together with Friday evening’s sport, through which he logged 36:57, Hauser has performed 20-plus minutes in 24 video games this season. When he earns that a lot taking part in time, he’s averaged 11.0 factors, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on 48.6% taking pictures from the ground and 47.2% from deep.
His makes an attempt improve in these video games, too. Hauser places up 7.9 complete photographs and 6.8 threes per sport in these contests, blowing his season stats out of the water.
“When we have now a full roster, I don’t actually know if I’ll play or not, however I’m all the time prepared,” Hauser defined. “And I do know I’m going to be locked in throughout the timeouts and huddles and ensure I do know what’s occurring, so if my quantity is known as, I’m able to go.”
With the postseason only a week away, the Celtics might want to make some robust rotational selections. Having so many gifted gamers is a blessing and a curse, and Hauser doesn’t all the time match into the rotation.
However no matter his standing, Hauser understands the problem forward of him, and if the state of affairs requires it, he’ll deliver his full effort, and possibly even a dunk, onto the court docket within the playoffs.
“Clearly, the playoffs are an enormous step up from the common season when it comes to the eye to element and depth, so I acquired to be prepared for it,” mentioned Hauser.