Final: Celtics 135 Spurs 115 -- Seven straight wins overshadowed by Hayward's injury

The Celtics won for the first time in San Antonio since 2011, overcoming an injury to Gordon Hayward to cruise to a 135-115 victory. Jaylen Brown finished four points shy of his career-high with 30 points, while Kemba Walker chipped in with 26 points as the visitors overcame a 7-0 hole out of the gate to cruise to a dominating win from start to finish.

Rob Williams arguably delivered his best game of the year with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, helping to limit LaMarcus Aldridge to just three points on 1-of-4 shooting. The C’s scored over 31 points in all four quarters, scoring the most points in San Antonio in a road game since the 1986.

The win was overshadowed however after Gordon Hayward suffered a left hand fracture in the second quarter.

Hayward suffered the injury while colliding with LaMarcus Aldridge with 1:34 remaining in the second quarter. Aldridge was whistled for an illegal screen on the play but it appears Hayward’s hand got caught in the collision. He immediately subbed himself out of the gate and headed to the locker room with a trainer.

According to the Celtics: Gordon Hayward has been diagnosed with a left hand fracture. Here's the play where it happened: pic.twitter.com/Vwd3FpJsfS

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) November 9, 2019

After undergoing an X-ray in the arena, the team announced Hayward’s diagnosis. Marcus Smart replaced Hayward in the starting five. The injury is brutal timing for Hayward and the Celtics, who had put up some of the best numbers of his career (20.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists) over the first seven games of this season.

—Sensational start from Jaylen Brown who has 20 points on 6-of-9 FG, putting on a show against all sorts of Spurs defenders with his quickness.

—Gordon Hayward finished with nine points but pulled himself from the game at the end of the first with what appeared to be a thumb injury.

—Marcus Smart has taken all nine of his shots from beyond the arc, knocking down four to set the pace for a C’s offense that knocked down nine 3s and hit 40 percent of their 30s.

—Eight steals and six blocks for C’s.

• The Celtics will be without Enes Kanter for the seventh straight game as the center continues to ramp up his recovery from a knee injury. He scrimmaged with the team yesterday and is on track to return in the coming days once he's cleared by team doctors.


• The C's have won just once in San Antonio in the last eight seasons (2011), despite a pair of close calls during the Brad Stevens era.


• The C's will be going for their seventh straight win and fourth consecutive road win of the year on Saturday night.


• San Antonio has seven different players averaging in double figures, with LaMarcus Aldridge leading the way with 20 points per game.