The Boston Celtics have been hit with a huge injury blow as forward Gordon Hayward has been confirmed to miss a month of action due to a knee injury he sustained.

The team made the announcement on Tuesday after the forward was diagnosed with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain. His injury came against Philadelphia 76ers when he tried to make a rebound in the final three minutes of the game.

This means that should the Celtics get to that stage, Hayward may not play a part in the semi-finals, but it is certain that the forward is out of the first round of the playoffs, which started on Monday.

Meanwhile, his return date is unknown yet, but he was due to exit the bubble in September irrespective of the team’s progress as he and his partner expects a baby next month.

Marcus Smart will be the biggest beneficiary of Gordon Hayward’s absence as he has been the sixth man for the Bostons.

Meanwhile, Utah Jazz’s guard Mike Conley has returned to the NBA bubble at the Walt Disney World campus in Orlando after he left for Ohio for the birth of his baby.

He missed the game against Denver Nuggets and does not look likely to feature in Wednesday’s game, but there is a possibility for him to appear in Friday’s game 3 of the series.

Donovan Mitchell replaced Conley in the 135 to 125 overtime loss against Denver Nuggets, and for Conley to return on Friday, he will need to pass quarantine rules, and Utah Jazz are hoping he can do so before Friday.

According to the NBA, the 32-year-old Conley is averaging 14.4 points and 4.4 assists in his first season with Utah. He was acquired as part of a deal with Memphis on July 6, 2019.

Written by: Daniel Ademiju Idowu