PHILADELPHIA — His name is typically among those bellowed out by the public address during pregame introductions and it’s been that way for his 12-year career.
That’s what made things all the more unusual for Gordon Hayward in his return after a 22-game absence. Instead of being dropped back into his usual position in the rotation as the starting small forward, coach James Borrego elected to bring Hayward off the bench in their 144-114 loss to Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday.
Coming off the bench was something Hayward had to get used to. After all, he’s trotted onto the floor with his teammates for the opening tipoff in 571 of the 733 career games he’s suited up.
