Update: Brad Stevens says Gordon Hayward will come off the bench and will be on "minutes monitoring." Stevens said it will be up to Hayward if he can go, but said that he expects him to play tonight in Game 3.

Source: Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter)

Update: Barring a setback in pregame warmups, there’s significant optimism within the Celtics that forward Gordon Hayward (right ankle sprain) will be active to play in Game 3 vs. Miami tonight, sources tell ESPN. After missing a month, Hayward offers a sizable boost for Boston’s bench.

Original Report: (Celtics upgraded Gordon Hayward (ankle) to "Questionable" for Game 3 vs. Miami on Saturday, an indicator that there's a real chance of his return.

SOURCE: Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter)

ANALYSIS: Hayward sprained his ankle in the Celtics' first playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers and has been out since. With the expectation that Hayward will play, the C's hope this boost will lead them to a Game 3 victory. Coach Brad Stevens later confirmed that Hayward will indeed come off of the bench and be on a minutes restriction.

During the regular season, he averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.6 threes per game (while shooting 50 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from three-point range).