Ahead of an early afternoon Boston Celtics Game 4 contest with the Philadelphia 76ers, Head Coach Brad Stevens gave an update on the overall health and mindset of the team as they are poised to sweep their Eastern Conference foe, beginning with injured veteran forward Gordon Hayward.
“He left Friday,” offered Stevens, who was much less confident over when the Butler product might return given he and his wife are expecting a child, and Hayward had planned to miss several games in early September to be present for the birth.
I don’t have any idea on that timeline,” noted the Celtics coach.. I mean, that’s all obviously dependent [on his decisions], though the plan of attack from everything that I’ve been told is when he’s closing in on being ready to play, he’ll be back.”
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Boston, according to Stevens, is in pretty solid shape given almost every roster in the league still playing is also dealing with an assortment of injuries to their players as well.
“Just Javonte [Green] and Gordon [Hayward are] out, otherwise everybody’s available and … I think it’s that time of the year where [in the] playoffs there’s certainly everybody playing so hard in every game, every team. Certainly there are nicks and bruises, but for the most part, [we’re] pretty good.”
Asked how the team will keep its focus and not start thinking about the next series when they are so close to advancing, the Indiana native reiterated his desire to keep the focus on each game as it comes.
A recurring facet of Stevens’ Celtics tenure has been this focus in the regular season as much as it has been playoffs, so it rings a bit more true than when offered by most caches.
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Particularly when considering it’s been born out in practice by the team, at least so far, in this series.
“We’re going to try to play it as well as we can, whether we’re up three or whether we’re down three or whether we’re up to one. Whatever we’ve got to win the next possession, that’s all we’re focused on. And it’s hard to win this series; [it] could easily be 2-1 Philadelphia, and that’s the way every series I’ve ever been in has; you just play as well as you can.”
“You have an opportunity today to play again,” he added.
And indeed they do, a desperate Sixers franchise and a hungry Celtics squad tipping off at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
If you haven’t, be sure to check out our preview, and if you don’t know how to tune in, we’ve got you covered there too.
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