BOSTON — In a dynamic display of long-range shooting, Sam Hauser stepped into the spotlight for the Boston Celtics, taking the place of Jayson Tatum against the Utah Jazz. Hauser didn’t just replicate the Celtics’ season strategy of hoisting numerous 3-pointers; he excelled at it.
Hauser connected on a season-high nine 3-pointers, contributing to a personal best of 33 points in Boston’s 114-108 victory on Monday night. This achievement links Hauser with his fellow Celtics, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard, as part of a rare NBA feat where four teammates have each scored nine or more 3-pointers in a single season game.
The Celtics have cemented themselves as a 3-point shooting powerhouse, taking 47.5 attempts per game, leading the league, and successfully converting 17.7 on average. On this night, they surpassed those stats with 18 successful 3s out of 53 tries, thanks in large part to Hauser, who hit nine of his 19 attempts. Meanwhile, inside the arc, Boston managed 22 baskets out of 40 attempts.
When Hauser was asked about the shooting accomplishment shared with his teammates, he responded humbly: “No idea, no idea, but that’s cool.” Recently, Pritchard posted an impressive performance with ten 3-pointers in a game against Philadelphia. Just before that, White achieved nine in a victory over Portland. Tatum, resting due to a right knee issue, had also netted nine 3s against Chicago earlier in the season.
Hauser’s remarkable third quarter against the Jazz saw him join an exclusive group of NBA players, being the 20th to make at least seven 3-pointers in a single quarter. “Running in transition and trying to find a window, these guys were looking for me. I was just trying to make that decision pay off,” Hauser explained. “Sometimes when you get in a flow, every shot you take feels like it’s going in.”
The Celtics’ reliance on 3-point shooting has proven successful, helping them claim the NBA championship last season and secure a solid position in the Eastern Conference standings this year. “It wasn’t like we were going out of our way to get him the ball. He has an innate ability to find the ball and create advantages,” stated coach Joe Mazzulla. “The guys did a great job of finding him once he got hot. There’s no shot that he shoots that we think is a bad shot.”
