Ankle injury sidelines C’s Hayward

The Celtics will need to reach the Eastern Conference finals in order for Gordon Hayward to have a chance to play again this season.

The 30-year-old forward suffered another significant injury, one that is going to sideline him for about four weeks, according to the Celtics.

Hayward has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain, which according to webMD.com, includes a full tear of the ankle ligament. The conference finals begin on Sept. 15, which is about when [...]

The Celtics will need to reach the Eastern Conference finals in order for Gordon Hayward to have a chance to play again this season.

The 30-year-old forward suffered another significant injury, one that is going to sideline him for about four weeks, according to the Celtics.

Hayward has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain, which according to webMD.com, includes a full tear of the ankle ligament. The conference finals begin on Sept. 15, which is about when Hayward’s timetable has him playing again.

He was injured with less than four minutes to go in the Celtics’ Game 1 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at Disney World on Monday night. Hayward went up for a defensive rebound, and when he came down, he landed on the foot of teammate Daniel Theis.

Hayward, who signed a four-year, $128-million contract in the summer of 2017, missed all but six minutes of his first season after suffering a gruesome injury on opening night. He dislocated the left ankle and fractured the left fibula in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Celtics will attempt to take a 2-0 series lead when they face the 76ers on Wednesday night (6:30 p.m.), and they will need to make a change to the starting lineup to fill the void caused by Hayward’s injury.

"He’s bummed, as you can imagine,’’ said coach Brad Stevens following practice on Tuesday afternoon. "He put in a lot of time and effort and you do so for the playoffs. That’s what we all look forward to.

"We’ve been really lucky thus far in the bubble to have good health, and of course, Game 1, we don’t, but that’s part of it. We’ve lived this before and we’re going to have to have other people step up. That’s why you have a team.’’

If the Celtics eliminate the 76ers, they would most likely be matched up with the defending champion Toronto Raptors in the second round.

After missing the 2017-18 season, Hayward struggled a year ago when he returned and lost his spot in the starting lineup.

But this season has been different for Hayward. He did miss 13 games in November and December with a fractured hand, but Hayward has been a versatile player who has helped the Celtics have success all season.

He averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 52 games. Against the Sixers in Game 1, Hayward had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Stevens could insert sixth man Marcus Smart into the lineup and move Jaylen Brown up front, or he could go with Semi Ojeleye or Romeo Langford at forward, though Langford has torn ligaments in his wrist.

Hayward, who has a $34.1-million player option for the 2020-21 season, was scheduled to leave the bubble at Disney World for a few days next month. His wife, Robyn, will give birth to their fourth child in Indiana in September.

"Really tough for him, obviously tough for us,’’ said Stevens of the injury. "He’s had a heck of a season and played really well here. But it’s the other ankle, his right ankle this time.

"It’s just kind of one of those freak things. It happens in basketball all the time. I feel for him more than anything else. It’s our job to make up for all the great things that he does by committee and we’ll attempt to do so.’’

The Celtics went 14-6 without Hayward in the lineup this season, including 9-4 after he fractured his hand against the San Antonio Spurs in November.

Hayward also missed four games because of a sore left foot and two others due to a right knee contusion. He also was a DNP in the final regular-season game against the Washington Wizards last week.

The Celtics feel for Hayward after all that he has been through with injuries since coming to Boston.

"For me, personally, I was there when he did the number of his ankle (in 2017),’’ said Smart. "When I saw him go down (Monday), just the look on his face, the agony in his face, I was a little terrified. I thought it was the same ankle that he hurt. He said it wasn’t, so in that aspect, that’s a good sign.

"But at the same time, we lose one of our guys. It’s tough to see anybody go down with an injury, especially when you’ve been playing great basketball, starting to peak at the right time and your team needs you. It was definitely devastating for us, but we understand it’s part of the game. It happens. Now it just means other guys have to step up and fill in what he brings to the table.’’

The Sixers began the series without one of their starters, Ben Simmons, who recently underwent surgery after dislocating his left knee on Aug. 5 against the Wizards. Simmons averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and eight assists this season.

jfenton@enterprisenews.com

On Twitter at @JFenton_ent