Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser was in the midst of a historic shooting performance when an ankle injury forced him to leave Sunday's 130-104 win over the Washington Wizards early.
Hauser exited in the third quarter and didn't return.
The good news is that, according to The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach, x-rays on Hauser's ankle were negative and "he is not expected to be sidelined for an extended period."
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Hauser is one of the NBA's best 3-point shooters, and that was on full display versus the Wizards as he connected on 10 of his 13 attempts from beyond the arc. His 30 points were a new career-high, and his 22:49 minutes played were the fewest of any NBA player to hit 10 3-pointers in game.
Hauser is shooting 43.2 percent from 3-point range this season, which trails only Jrue Holiday (44.5 percent) among Celtics players. His shooting brilliance Sunday raised his 3-point percentage in March to a red-hot 49.5 percent over nine games.
The fact that Hauser isn't likely to be out long term is huge for the Celtics because they will need him in the playoffs. Hauser's ability to catch fire from 3-point range makes him an important X-factor, even someone who could potentially be the difference in a postseason game or series.
Hauser is averaging career highs in minutes (21.2), points (8.4) and rebounds (3.4) per game this season.
The Celtics are back in action Monday night against the Detroit Pistons at TD Garden, where NBC Sports Boston will feature an all-female broadcast team to celebrate Women's Empowerment Month. The team has not officially announced Hauser's status for this matchup.
