Celtics lose in Hayward's return to Utah
Despite having one of his better performances of the season, the All-Star forward can't lift Boston past his former team
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History in Salt Lake City
Hayward spent seven seasons with the Jazz, averaging 15.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists across 516 games. Utah qualified for the playoffs twice, advancing as far as the second round his final year.
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A bittersweet end
Hayward agreed to a four-year, max contract with the Celtics in 2017. He refuted a report at the time that he was shipping up to Boston, yet published an essay to the Player's Tribune hours later revealing that he was joining the Celtics.
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No video tribute
The Jazz elected not to acknowledge Hayward during a break in play, deciding instead to post a 20-second video to its Twitter page earlier in the day.
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Short and sweet 😇
Welcome back, Gordon.
Some Jazz fans still hold a grudge 😲
Untitled
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Boston loses 123-115
The Kyrie Irving-less Celtics drop to 7-5 with their third loss in four games. Jazz forward Joe Ingles led all scorers with 27 points, as Utah gets back to the .500 mark with a 6-6 record.
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Stat line
Hayward struggled from deep, but recorded a season-high in assists and was perfect from the charity stripe.
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Hayward isn't disliked by everyone in Utah 🙏
.@gordonhayward showing some fan love in Utah
Nothing but love from me for all the fans in Utah. Like I said, a great seven years here. I wish them the best.
Gordon Hayward (via Deseret News' Eric Woodyard)
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