NEW YORK -- Celtics coach Brad Stevens offered more encouraging news on Gordon Hayward's recovery.
The 6-foot-8 Hayward continues to heal after fracturing a bone in his left hand Nov. 9 in a game in San Antonio.
“He’s able to run up and down the court. He’s able to do non-contact drills and he’ll have another meeting on Monday over FaceTime with his doctor to look at the healing process and discuss what’s next,” Stevens said after practice on Saturday ahead of the game Sunday afternoon against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
In recent days, Hayward has clearly ratcheted up his on-the-floor workload with the goal being able to maintain, as best he can, the good rhythm he was in prior to the injury, as well as strengthen his injured hand.
I asked Hayward prior to the 112-107 loss at Brooklyn on Friday about where he thought he was in his recovery. He said he thought he was ahead of schedule but added, “It’s hard to say with these type of things what the timeline is. But I feel good.”
And the Celtics feel good about the progress he has made, but remain cautiously optimistic about when he will be back on the floor.
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Hayward had surgery on his hand a few days after the injury and it's expected to keep him out until shortly before Boston travels to Toronto for a Christmas Day game against the Raptors.
To see him on the floor, doing a lot of things he did prior to the injury, is indeed encouraging for Stevens and the Celtics even as they await him receiving clearance to resume playing.
“It is what it is,” Stevens said. “We knew it was gonna be a while before he would be back. It’s good to have him [around].”
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