Analysis: Gordon Hayward (concussion) ruled out against Sixers

The Celtics announced Tuesday afternoon Gordon Hayward will miss his second straight game on Wednesday night against the Sixers. Hayward remains in the NBA's concussion protocol after suffering a hard collision with John Collins during Saturday's win over the Hawks.

Brad Stevens suggested before Monday's game against the Nuggets that it is possible Hayward could re-join the team for the team's next game on Saturday against the Hornets.

"He may be able to join us in Charlotte for Saturday but I don’t know," Stevens said. "I don’t want to speak out of turn here. And that would depend on if he passes each step of the protocol."

BSJ Analysis: Hayward has been one of the more consistent performers on the C's since the All-Star Break, shooting 51 percent from the field while leading the team in plus/minus for the past two months. His absence loomed large in Monday's loss to the Nuggets as the second unit surrendered a 16-2 run to the Nuggets bench midway through the second half.

“Well, I mean, Gordon’s a really good player but we don’t make excuses like that," Stevens said of Hayward's absence. "So, our guys, you know – their bench has been good all year. They’ve had guys out; we’ve had guys out. You just have to play with who’s available and those guys have to play great and ultimately we came up a little bit short. And I think sometimes people think the other coaches are just saying this, but, like, Denver’s really good, and they took advantage of us, like when we hit that skid, they punished us. Both inside and out. And I thought that their bench – Monte Morris, (Mason) Plumlee, (Malik) Beasley – those guys have been good all year. And I thought they made big plays today. Especially – and especially Torrey Craig – with that three, with that five-point run at the end of the third quarter. That was huge.”

The timing of Hayward's absence is not great from an opponent standpoint as the Celtics can likely waive their chances at a No. 3 seed goodbye if they fall to the Sixers in Philly on Wednesday night. Boston is already 2.5 games back with 11 games to play but that number could go up to three if the Sixers win in Charlotte tonight.

Losing out on the third seed though may not be a bad thing at all when it comes to playoff matchups (Bucks look like the more appealing potential second-round matchup for the moment) but trying to secure home-court advantage in a potential four/five matchup won't be easy either for Boston if they don't keep pace with the Pacers (one game back) in the standings.

Without Hayward, the pressure will fall on Brad Stevens to find a way to mix and match his lineup combinations in a way that can contain the Sixers firepower on offense. A healthy dose of Aron Baynes is guaranteed to be in the cards for this one while Semi Ojeleye should also be necessary if Stevens opts for a more defensive look with his second unit. After watching big runs by opponents against Hayward-less second units over the last two games (Atlanta, Denver), some tweaking will need to be in order here to ensure the C's don't deal with a similar fate in what will be a raucous atmosphere in Philadelphia.