Sam Hauser was practically automatic in the Boston Celtics' 118-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, tying Jayson Tatum for a team-high 25 points.
Of Hauser's nine made field goals, seven came from beyond the arc, tying Payton Pritchard for the second-most 3-pointers made in a game by a Celtic off the bench. He was just one additional 3-pointer away from tying the franchise record of eight set by Eddie House in January 2009 against the Sacramento Kings. (Hauser made 10 3-pointers against the Washington Wizards on March 17 but started that game.)
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"It feels pretty good," Hauser told NBC Sports Boston's Brian Scalabrine and Drew Carter of his shot following the win in Charlotte. "If I can get my feet down underneath me and explode up, I think it has a good chance of going in."
By going 7-for-11 from 3 against the Hornets, Hauser added to what has been a stellar season for the 26-year-old, averaging 43.3 percent from deep -- the third-highest in the league behind Grayson Allen and Luke Kennard.
Now in his third season in the league, the undrafted wing is posting career-highs across the board as a crucial piece of Boston's surprisingly impressive bench unit -- one that had question marks at the start of the season.
With the Celtics finally set to return home after a six-game road trip, Carter asked Hauser if he was excited to return to Boston to play some golf as the weather warms up across New England -- and his response shows just how locked in this team is.
"We gotta get a ring first," Hauser said with a smile.
The Celtics return home on Wednesday night where they could clinch the best record in the NBA with a win over the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder.
