On Monday evening, the Boston Celtics confronted off towards the New Orleans Pelicans, managing to return away with their first win of the season. In what was a detailed sport all through the evening, the Celtics managed to create loads of separation within the fourth quarter, ending the evening on a 31-4 run.
As a part of that run, Sam Hauser hit two a lot wanted threes. He shot simply 3-10 for the evening, all 10 of his makes an attempt coming from behind the three-point line. It took some time for his offense to get going, however he was strong defensively from begin to end.
Sam got here off the bench, subbing in at energy ahead for Josh Minott who had a superb evening himself. Each groups performed comparatively small, which compelled Hauser to cowl the paint greater than ordinary on protection. He held his personal, bodying up and stopping simple baskets.
New Orleans shot 5 for 12 (41.7%) from the ground when going towards Sam, 1 for five from vary. Of the 4 baskets within the paint, Sam was largely caught navigating screens whereas chasing his man off the three-point line, and nonetheless did as a lot as he might to maintain to his man’s physique.
For instance, within the following clip Hauser was defending Trey Murphy III. He caught to his hip for practically the whole play, and nonetheless put up a contest on the shot, however was continuously preventing round and over screens from Yves Missi.
Only a few minutes later within the sport, Sam was once more overlaying Murphy, and this time even compelled Trey to cross out of his shot to a chopping Derik Queen. Sam tried his greatest to get a second contest up, however in the end there wasn’t far more he might do. With Neemias Queta stepping out of place to assist, Hauser was left with no likelihood as Queen strode down the lane.
There have been a number of performs like this the place Hauser was capable of jam a drive and drive his man to rethink their pictures. They don’t present up within the field rating as makes an attempt or contests, however they make a giant distinction in disrupting the opposing staff’s offense. And talking of disrupting, Sam was second on the staff and third total in deflections at 4. He completed the evening with one block and one steal.
Given Boston’s huge roster turnaround and deficiencies within the entrance court docket, Hauser stepping up defensively goes a great distance. Joe Mazzulla is unquestionably going to ask a number of him on that aspect of the ground, however Sam has been as much as the duty thus far. He was an underrated defender only a couple seasons in the past, which ended up being an essential a part of the staff’s championship run. He took a step again final 12 months, seemingly due to the again points he was coping with, however he appears to be getting again to type now that he’s wholesome.
