Celtics-Heat Notebook: Gordon Hayward ruled out for Game 1

Gordon Hayward did not practice on Monday afternoon with the rest of his teammates on the final day of preparation for teams before the Eastern Conference Finals. While he did take part in a hard workout session after practice in a small group, he was ruled out by the team ahead of Game 1 on Monday evening.

“He didn't go through our normal practice," Brad Stevens said. "He went through a hard pep workout, what we call our small group workouts after practice. He looked good when he was going through it, but there's a big difference between doing that and actually getting into a game. I don't know officially what that means as we move forward. But he's getting better.”

Hayward has been back with the team since Friday after finishing out his four-day quarantine upon returning to the Orlando bubble as he rehabs from a Grade 3 ankle sprain.

“Happy to have him back, just to even be around,” Jayson Tatum said of Hayward. “Obviously we hope he can play, get back healthy. Just to have G back around the team has been good.”

While Stevens said Sunday that he expects Hayward to play in the East Finals, there still remains a question of whether he will leave the bubble again to be with his wife for the birth of their fourth child later this month. Stevens declined to comment on Hayward’s plans on that front, as speculation swirled that Hayward would no longer be leaving the bubble for the momentous occasion.

For now, the Celtics will likely just be planning to proceed for the early games of this series without the swingman as he continues to recover from the serious sprain. It would be a surprise if Hayward returned in a major role once he is cleared to return to the floor given the length of his absence. However, those decisions will fall on Stevens once the veteran is given the green light at some point in the next two weeks.

“Since I’ve seen him last, it’s good progress,” Stevens said on Sunday. “I know he feels better. He’s worked hard to get to where he is and I think he’ll play at some point in this series. As far as predicting a timeline, I have no idea. But I feel like he’s made good progress and will play eventually.”

More Celtics families arrive in the bubble

For the first time in over two months, several Celtics will have a chance to see their family members in person in Orlando this week.

Several Celtic families have made the trip to Orlando for the Eastern Conference Finals, including Tatum’s two-year-old son Deuce.

“It’ll make all the difference. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him or my mom," Tatum said of having family around. "Just to have some familiar faces in the crowd and just share the experience will be very helpful.”

The Tatum family remains in quarantine as of Monday down in Orlando but will be cleared to attend Game 1 Tuesday night.

“It’s still tough for him to understand what’s going on,” Tatum said Monday of his son going through quarantine. “But he knows somehow, some way he’ll see me tomorrow. So he’s excited about that.”

Javonte Green could be available in this series

The rookie swingman underwent knee surgery at the start of the postseason in the midst of the Sixers series after suffering a knee injury in the early part of the series. However as the Celtics have extended out their postseason run, Green is back with the team in Orlando and was ruled doubtful instead of out for the first time since suffering the injury in Game 1. He’s unlikely to be in the rotation against Miami unless multiple guards go down with an injury, but his speed and defense could come in handy from a depth standpoint against a Miami team that likes to play small. If he’s healthy enough to play, look for him to be on the 13-man active roster.

Kelly Olynyk plays the 'what if?' game

The former Celtics center has played well for the Heat this postseason as Miami has advanced easily to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics let Olynyk walk away in free agency in the summer of 2017, opting to use cap space that could have gone to him for Gordon Hayward’s max contract. Does he wish he had a chance to see things through in Boston after a run to the East Finals in the Spring of 2017 during which he was a Game 7 hero against the Wizards?

“I guess there's always that if it's not broke, don't fix it, but everybody is just doing their job,” Olynyk said. “Obviously, Danny Ainge is doing his job. People who, sometimes it's tough, you're trying to get better every single year or you're trying to make -- it's also a business. Money goes into it, salary cap, all that kind of stuff. So it's different.

“Obviously, like you said, we had a great team who really played together, played with each other, and we had a good run there. Obviously would have been cool to see what we could have done the following year or the next year, but sometimes in life that doesn't happen. But I'm happy to be back with this opportunity and this team, and hopefully we've got something good going right now.”