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Hayward played 25 minutes and finished with 10 points (4-12 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds and four steals Tuesday in the Celtics' 105-87 win over the 76ers.
True to his word, coach Brad Stevens restricted Hayward's playing time while the forward was eased back into the mix after a gruesome ankle injury limited him to just one appearance in his inaugural season in Boston. While Hayward's steal total was a useful output, the 28-year-old otherwise looked rusty in his return to regular-season action, which was largely the case throughout the preseason. The forward will likely have his minutes monitored a little more carefully for the next few weeks, but if Hayward incurs no setbacks and starts to flash more explosiveness in the games to come, it won't be long before his restrictions are removed. That being said, with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Morris all guaranteed playing time on the wing, the Celtics aren't incentivized to hand Hayward huge minutes loads in every contest.
