The Boston Celtics were without three of their premier 3-point threats Sunday night at Washington, so Sam Hauser stepped into the starting lineup and knocked down enough triples to fill all three shooting voids combined.
Without Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, and Derrick White, the C’s still managed to blow out the Wizards, 130-104, largely thanks to Hauser’s historic night.
The third-year wing made 10 3-pointers – one shy of Marcus Smart’s franchise record – as part of a career-high 30-point effort despite missing nearly half of the game due to an ankle injury. He landed awkwardly on his left ankle after a 3-point attempt at the 7:53 mark of the third quarter and then went back to the locker room for the remainder of the game.
Joe Mazzulla didn’t have an update on Hauser’s x-ray results, but he did speak highly of what the star of the night was able to do during his time on the court.
“Loved his confidence,” the head coach said. “Loved his aggressiveness, loved how guys looked for him, and I loved how he got his shots within the flow of our execution. That’s the weapon that he is.”
After knocking down 1-of-2 during the first quarter, Hauser erupted for a 6-of-7 effort in the second frame, which included a stretch of six consecutive makes. He became the fourth player in franchise history to make seven 3-pointers in a half; ironically, two of those players were on the sideline – Brown and White – and the other was Kemba Walker.
Hauser also became the first player in NBA history to make at least 10 3-pointers while playing less than 23 minutes. He knocked down nearly one trey every two minutes.
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