\u201cSo we started throwing the ball around the yard a little bit with Sam,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He was the varsity team\u2019s starting quarterback for much of his junior season before shifting his entire focus to his primary sport. But every now and then, he flashes that strong right arm on a basketball court, too.<\/p>\n
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was aware of the skill, and it was part of his calculus when he hastily determined how the Celtics could overcome a 5-point deficit in the final 7.9 seconds of overtime against the Nets on Friday<\/a>.<\/p>\n Get Starting Point<\/p>\n A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re going through your late-game progressions, you have a group of a bunch of different lineups,\u201d Mazzulla said. \u201cWho are your best inbounders? Who are your best guys that get open? Who are your best guys that can throw fullcourt passes?\u201d<\/p>\n Mazzulla said the latter list includes Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, and Derrick White. In this case, White was sitting out to rest and Scheierman was on the bench, so Hauser was the easy choice. But he is also an elite shooter, so the fact that Mazzulla had him flinging the ball downcourt rather than taking a shot showed how highly he values the forward\u2019s deep ball.<\/p>\n The Celtics still had a timeout when Ziaire Williams stepped to the free-throw line for Brooklyn. But Boston knew it would need to score twice, and this was its best chance to catch the Nets in an unsettled situation.<\/p>\n So, Mazzulla called the aptly named play, \u2018Touchdown.\u2019 It is reminiscent of Bryce Drew\u2019s iconic 1998 NCAA Tournament shot in which a fullcourt pass to his teammate was redirected to him for a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in an upset win over Mississippi.<\/p>\n Hauser said the Celtics worked on the play near the start of the season, but two-way contract center Amari Williams was not part of the tutorial. When he subbed in during those free throws, his first appearance of the game, he received a brief primer from Mazzulla before heading to the scorer\u2019s table. His teammates offered further instruction while they stood in the lane.<\/p>\n \u201cJust that it\u2019s a touchdown pass and that you should expect the ball and just be at the top of the 3-point line,\u201d Williams said.<\/p>\n Hauser, for one, was excited to at least get the chance.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe just kind of yelled out the play and we were like, \u2018All right, we\u2019re doing it,\u2019 \u201d Hauser said. \u201cAnd then you just kind of grab it and go, and the other team doesn\u2019t have a chance to guess what you\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n After Ziaire Williams\u2019s second free throw stretched the Nets\u2019 lead to 117-112, Hauser, a lifelong Packers fan, took the ball and backpedaled toward the baseline as he scanned the court.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to take my drop-back, like [Packers quarterback] Jordan Love,\u201d he said, smiling.<\/p>\n Amari Williams overtime highlights:<\/p>\n \u2705 Perfect touch pass to set up a Pritchard 3 Incredible poise for a rookie two-way pic.twitter.com\/pGcWTZlGYn<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) January 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Payton Pritchard, who is among the NBA\u2019s best at racing upcourt for buzzer-beating 3-pointers, raised his hand as he began to dart down the right sideline toward halfcourt. But throwing it to Pritchard there would have burned too much time for a team that needed to score twice.<\/p>\n \u201cThe idea is just to throw it up to the big fella,\u201d Hauser said of Amari Williams. \u201cThere are other options, but you\u2019re trying to hit two guys down the sideline, which would be tough. So, the idea is to just get it to Amari and let him make the play off that. If that doesn\u2019t work, you\u2019re [expletive] out of luck, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n Hauser curled his right arm back and flung a pass to Williams, who was standing between the foul line and 3-point line about 75 feet away.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a great pass,\u201d Williams said, \u201con line the whole way.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams jumped, caught the ball, and passed it to a streaking Pritchard at the right arc before he even landed. Pritchard shook his defender with a pump-fake, took one dribble to his left, and hit the big shot with 3.9 seconds left.<\/p>\n Brooklyn\u2019s Nolan Traore hit just one of two free throws, and after using the timeout they\u2019d wisely saved, Celtics guard Hugo Gonz\u00e1lez hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left to force a second overtime. Boston eventually finished off the chaotic win, a win that was made possible by Hauser\u2019s big right arm and comfort as a quarterback.<\/p>\n Down 3. 2.5 seconds left. \ud83d\udcaf Level IQ coaching from Joe Mazzulla last night!<\/p>\n Boston would go on to defeat Brooklyn on the road. pic.twitter.com\/Y6Hij0Eh3X<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA (@NBA) January 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Dave Hauser said that at family gatherings, Sam and his younger brother Joey still play a game in which one puts his hands in a specific position, and the other must hit the target with a football to score a point. He said it gets competitive.<\/p>\n \u201cSam always had that really smooth throw,\u201d Dave Hauser said. \u201cWhen you watch him throw that pass the other night, that\u2019s how he throws it, just nice and easy and smooth, and usually on target.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\u2705 Excellent read for an and-1 layup
\u2705 Huge block to keep Boston ahead by 4 <\/p>\n
Subs in Hugo Gonz\u00e1lez off the bench.
Gonz\u00e1lez sends the game to 2OT.<\/p>\n