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Gordon Hayward's Top 5 Performances from the 2019-20 Season

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BOSTON – Last season was a challenging re-adjustment period for Gordon Hayward, as he eased his mind and body back into the game after rehabbing from a career-threatening ankle injury. This season, however, Old G has made his comeback, returning to All-Star caliber form.

Hayward, when healthy, has been the Celtics’ most consistent all-around player, given that he is the only player on the team to rank among the top four in scoring, assisting and rebounding. From an efficiency standpoint, he has been outstanding. He’s shooting a career-high 50.2 percent from the field, as well as 39.2 percent from long range, which is a sizeable uptick from his 33.3 percent mark last season.

Along the way, he’s produced some of Boston’s most well-rounded individual performances of the campaign, which we have narrowed down below to a Top 5.

5. Feb. 5 vs. Orlando

Here's what happened...

Thanks to his versatility, Hayward can fill many different types of voids when need be. On Feb. 5 against Orlando, for example, the Celtics were missing their top scorer and facilitator in Kemba Walker, their second-leading assister in Marcus Smart, and their second-leading rebounder in Daniel Theis. Hayward morphed into all three roles, as he logged 23 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and two steals to help lead Boston past Orlando, 116-110. Hayward was nearly flawless during his 35 minutes on the court; he made 10 of his 16 field goal attempts and had a perfect assist-to-turnover ratio of seven-to-zero. Through his scoring and facilitating, he had a hand in creating 42 points, and the Celtics were at their best when he was on the floor thanks to his game-leading plus/minus rating of plus-17.

4. Feb. 21 at Minnesota

Here's what happened...

Gordon Hayward is like a full moon to the Minnesota Timberwolves, because he leaves them howling every time they face off. Last season, he posted two 30-point outings against the T-Wolves. During their lone matchup this season on Feb. 21, he came one point away from logging another. Hayward recorded a game-high 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the field while also dishing out six assists and grabbing five rebounds and a pair of steals during 38 minutes of action. Hayward wasn't alone in guiding the Celtics to a 127-117 win that night, as he was one of four Celtics who poured in at least 25 points, but he was most certainly the leader of their pack.

3. January 28 at Miami

Here's what happened...

One common theme among Hayward’s top performances this season is that most of them have occurred on the road, including four out of five on this list. One of his most impressive such efforts came Jan. 28 in Miami against a Heat team that had won 21 out of 23 at home up to that point. Hayward helped to fill the scoring void of an injured Jayson Tatum by dropping a game-high 29 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field and an 8-of-10 effort from the foul line. He also helped to fill the rebounding void of Enes Kanter by corralling nine rebounds, which was the most tallied by any wing in the game. Boston outscored Miami by 10 points during Hayward’s 38 minutes of action, which helped them pull off a 109-101 win in one of the NBA's most challenging road arenas.

2. March 10 at Indiana

Here's what happened...

Hayward’s last game before the NBA hiatus also happened to have been one of its best games of the entire season. Back in his hometown of Indianapolis, the veteran wing helped lead the Celtics to a 114-111 victory over the Pacers, as he tallied 27 points, a game-high 10 rebounds, a team-high-tying five assists, two steals, and one blocked shot. For Hayward, it was his first 25-point, 10-rebound outing since Dec. 21, 2016 during his lone All-Star season with the Utah Jazz. He sure played the part of an All-Star during this game, as he opened up the game with a 13-point first quarter, and then opened up the second half with 12-point third frame. Little did Hayward know that would be his last game of competitive basketball for the foreseeable future, but he sure made the most of it while playing back home in front of his family and friends.

1. Nov. 5 at Cleveland

Here's what happened...

Nov. 5, 2019 was more than just the most efficient night of Hayward’s career. It was the most efficient high-volume, close-range shooting night that any NBA player has logged in more than 50 years. While facing off against the Cavaliers in Cleveland, Hayward knocked down 17-of-20 field goal attempts, including a perfect 16-of-16 from inside the arc. The last, and only other player in league history to make at least 16 two-point field goals without a miss was Wilt Chamberlain, who accomplished the feat twice in one month of the 1966-67 season. Hayward also knocked down one 3-pointer (a feat which wasn’t possible during Chamberlain’s era) and all four of his free throw attempts, as he finished with a regular season career-high-tying 39 points. On top of all that, he was the game’s leading facilitator with eight assists, and he also corralled seven rebounds during a 119-113 Celtics victory.