Boston’s Gordon Hayward, Miami’s Andre Iguodala available for Game 3 of East finals
The Boston Celtics will have their full rotation available for the first time since the postseason opener.
Celtics forward Gordon Hayward is available for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night against the Miami Heat. Hayward missed the previous 12 games after spraining his right ankle in Game 1 of Boston’s first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
For the Heat, veteran forward Andre Iguodala is on the active roster Saturday after missing the second half of Game 2 because of lower back spasms. Iguodala has averaged 3.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.1 minutes off of Miami’s bench in the playoffs.
The Heat holds a 2-0 series lead over the Celtics entering Saturday’s contest.
Hayward, who will play off the bench and have his minutes monitored in his return, averaged 17.5 points while shooting 50 percent from the field and 38.3 percent on threes, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists in the regular season. His return provides much-needed playmaking and scoring off the Celtics’ bench, which has combined to average just 18 points and 3.9 assists per game in the playoffs.
Hayward’s playmaking ability could also help against Miami’s 2-3 zone look that bothered Boston in Game 2.
“He’s a great passer,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of Hayward’s return. “He can score the ball. He can switch all the different positions. He gives us a lot of defensive flexibility there. He just gives us a lot. And I think that he has always been a guy that provides a great sense of stability. So I think, obviously, he’s coming back from a four-week break or four-and-a-half-week break, so we don’t expect him to be a world beater. But I think his presence helps us.”
Miami rookie center Chris Silva, who turned 24 on Saturday, remained out for Game 3 because of a groin injury. Silva has not played this postseason after appearing in 44 regular-season games.
