Gordon Hayward, who has a broken finger, expected to play for the Hornets vs. Cavs
New Charlotte Hornet Gordon Hayward says he intends to play in the season opener Wednesday in Cleveland, after practicing two days with a fractured pinkie finger on his right shooting hand.
Former All-Star Hayward was a major free-agent acquisition by the Hornets, agreeing to a 4-year, $120 million deal after opting out of the final $34 million season on his contract with the Boston Celtics.
Hayward was diagnosed with an avulsion fracture after a home preseason game against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 14. He practiced Monday and Tuesday, and declared himself ready before the team flight to Cleveland.
“I am going to play on Wednesday. I’ve been doing shooting workouts and went through practice the last couple of days. It should be good,” Hayward said during a media conference call.
Hayward will start versus the Cavaliers in a lineup that should also include guards Devonte Graham and Terry Rozier, power forward P.J. Washington and center Cody Zeller. Hayward says he knows he is in for some pain management by playing, but he’s confident, based on conversations with the Hornets medical staff, that it’s safe to try.
“Obviously, it’s still broken, but I’m going to play,” said Hayward, who averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Celtics last season. “I understand what happened to it — what the injury is — and I just have to kind of play through it.
“There’s no risk to further damage playing. It’s kind of a pain tolerance-type deal. We’re going to make it work.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 1:15 PM.
