When the Boston Celtics damage report was finalized on Sunday, the stage was set for some distinctive performances. Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, and Derrick White have been all lacking, that means Boston’s function gamers would get an opportunity to shine.
No person knew that historical past was within the playing cards.
In simply 22:49 of motion, Sam Hauser nailed 10 three-pointers. Of the 94 performances through which a participant has hit 10 or extra threes, Hauser did it within the fewest variety of minutes.
Hauser left the sport halfway by way of the third quarter with an ankle damage. Joe Mazzulla mentioned he had a “cautionary X-ray,” and Jayson Tatum added that he “appears to be doing positive,” however the ailment left extra historical past on the desk.
“We have been making an attempt to get him to interrupt the report,” mentioned Tatum.
Marcus Sensible’s 11 made threes on January 18, 2020 is probably the most in a recreation by a Celtic. Hauser was one shy. However that wasn’t the one quantity in vary for him.
“I hoped he was gonna go for 15,” mentioned Al Horford. “Even break the Celtics report, but additionally go for the league report. He simply had such [a] good rhythm. So, it was fairly cool to see.”
Photograph by Patrick Smith/Getty Pictures
Klay Thompson holds the report for many threes made in a single recreation. He drained 14 on October 29, 2018, and he solely performed 27 minutes. Hauser was inside placing distance earlier than he turned his ankle on a member of the Washington Wizards bench.
With Washington’s Thirtieth-ranked protection and a bunch of keen teammates feeding him, 15 threes was a reachable mark. And the Celtics knew it.
“Us shooters, we all know these data,” Horford mentioned. “After which, the Celtics one I knew final 12 months as a result of Derrick White got here out sizzling and hit like seven or eight and ended up like with 9 threes or one thing like that. So, we have been very conscious of it and pulling for Sam.”
Although his evening was minimize brief, Hauser completed the sport with a career-high 30 factors. The Celtics dismantled the Wizards, and Hauser meticulously picked his spots utilizing his elite off-ball motion and flooring spacing.
Most significantly, Hauser’s monster night wasn’t pressured. It wasn’t a product of pre-planned absurdities in opposition to a subpar group. The Celtics performed their recreation, Hauser performed his, and all of it occurred naturally.
The way in which basketball is meant to be performed.
“I really like how he acquired his pictures inside the move of our execution,” Mazzulla mentioned. “And that’s the weapon that he’s. His skill to simply put two on the ball, his skill to create open pictures for himself and for different individuals. So, it was enjoyable to observe him shoot them [and] it was enjoyable to observe his guys search for him.”
Hauser hit his spots, and the Celtics discovered him. “He took all nice pictures, and we simply did an excellent job of discovering the man with the recent hand,” mentioned Tatum.
A feat completed fewer than 100 instances in NBA historical past. A person who did it in fewer minutes than ever earlier than. And an evening ended prematurely by an ankle damage, stopping a brand new title from being entered into the NBA report books.
Celtics-Wizards was billed as a zero p.c on Rotten Tomatoes, however Hauser’s plotline turned it right into a blockbuster.
