Sam Hauser has knocked down over 40 percent of the threes he has hoisted every year of his career. However, now in his fifth NBA season, the Boston Celtics’ sharpshooter is searching for his rhythm.
Hauser’s uncharacteristic performance from beyond the arc led to him entering Friday’s matchup vs. the Indiana Pacers having converted just 35.7 percent of his 5.8 attempts from three-point range.
However, that figure got a significant spike, as the six-foot-eight forward channeled his inner-Taylor Swift and shook off his shooting struggles in a 140-122 win.
5-5 he’s on the money 💰 pic.twitter.com/Ft4Mug3qML
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 27, 2025
The recently turned 28-year-old from Wisconsin buried his first seven straight tries. They all came from behind the arc. His lone miss of the night occurred on an attempt from 27 feet with 1:29 left in the third frame.
Hauser finished with 23 points on 7/8 shooting in 17 minutes off the bench. He is now shooting 38.1 percent from three-point range this season. Water is finding its level, and perhaps he is getting his groove back.
Joe Mazzulla explains what matters most with Sam Hauser
After the Celtics’ victory, their fourth straight and second consecutive over the Pacers, Boston’s bench boss shed light on what matters even more than the fifth-year forward’s shot-making.
“It’s great when he’s making shots, but it’s even better when we find him,” said Mazzulla, Via Celtics Postgame Live on NBC Sports Boston. “And I thought tonight, we did a great job hunting for him. Pindowns in transition, getting him going off kickouts, JB had a couple [of] kickouts there. So, it’s always great to see him make them, but it’s great for us to be able to find him in the rhythm and flow of our offense. Because it kind of unlocks some of the stuff that we do.”
After a night spent producing swishes that barely grazed the net, Hauser discussed what it’s like to see his teammates seeking him out to do what he does best.
“I just think it’s just like you make your first couple, and then it’s just kind of human nature, they’re gonna try to find me a little bit more,” said Hauser, focusing the spotlight on his teammates instead of pointing it inward. “Credit to them, I wouldn’t be able to get all these open shots if it wasn’t for JB drawing all this attention, getting to the lane, making the right read, and Payton, kind of the same thing, and D. White too. So, it’s really more credit to them, finding me and getting me the ball when I am open.”
The more the Celtics do that, and the more he’s performing in line with his standard level of production, the more lethal Boston’s offense becomes.