Is Gordon Hayward finally back? His 35-point game against Minnesota says yes

Hayward scored 35 points with ridiculous efficiency against the Timberwolves on Wednesday. It looks like this star is shining again.

Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 35 points against Minnesota on Wednesday, and yes, anything done to this disappointing Wolves defense should be taken with a grain of salt. But a game like this for Hayward means one thing, and one thing only.

It means that after a year off recovering from his gruesome ankle and leg injury last October, Boston’s All-Star forward is back — and it looks like he’s better than ever.

Hayward has had the Timberwolves on a string this season. He scored 30 points on 50 percent shooting against them on Dec. 1. But his 35 points against Minnesota looked like things you’d see in NBA 2K19. And it wasn’t because he made dazzling plays all night. It’s because he scored the ball so easily, it was as if there was no defense whatsoever.

Hayward shot 14-of-18 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range. Only Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie and Clippers’ star Lou Williamshave scored more off the bench than Boston’s forward this season. He scored in a variety of ways. The game was a refreshing reminder how versatile and talented of a player has been stewing in the crockpot, waiting for his time to shine.

Here’s Hayward, staring Taj Gibson down before drilling a three right in his eye:

Hayward also showed a level of confidence in the leg that he hurt last season. We see him shooting mid-range jump shots off the dribble, showing an ability to stop on a dime. This was the kind of play we saw him make in Utah. It’s one of the reasons the Celtics handed him a near-max contract last summer.

And you can’t forget — Hayward also had five assists. He was a playmaker in Utah, and with Kyrie Irving out and the ball in his hands, he showed he can be a facilitator in Boston, too.

These are only a few plays Hayward made in a game where the short-handed Celtics needed him — or somebody — to step up. Boston’s best offensive player is Kyrie Irving, but it has been a question as to who would step up and be his No. 2. Hayward showed — at least against Minnesota — there’s still an All-Star inside his body.

If this is kind of play Celtics fans can expect consistently from Hayward moving forward? Good luck to the rest of the East, especially when Irving comes back.