Photo: IC

Boston forward Gordon Hayward fractured his left hand Saturday in the Celtics' 135-115 victory at San Antonio, dimming the joy of improving to 7-1 on the NBA season.

Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, Kemba Walker added 26, Jayson Tatum contributed 19 and Marcus Smart came off the bench for Hayward to add 16 to spark the Celtics' triumph.

Hayward managed nine points and two rebounds in 15 minutes before the injury.

Hayward has been enjoying a stellar season with averages of 20.3 points, a team-high 7.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists a game. 

He's also hitting 44 percent from three-point range.

The 29-year-old departed after suffering the injury with 94 seconds remaining in the second quarter in a collision with San Antonio's LaMarcus Aldridge, who was setting a pick on the play and was whistled for a foul.

Hayward was taken to the locker room and an X-ray confirmed the break.

Hayward spent his first seven NBA seasons with Utah before joining the Celtics, only to suffer severe leg and ankle injuries in the opening minutes of Boston's 2017-18 season opener and miss the entire remainder of the campaign.

While Hayward has averaged 11.5 points a game this season, it wasn't until the past few games when he appeared to have fully shaken off the impact of the 2017 injuries.

"This one doesn't feel near as bad as it did two years ago," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. 

"So, he'll be back. Be off for a few weeks or a month or whatever it is."

Stevens said Hayward and the team would have a firmer timeline once he had received further medical advice.

"We're going to get with the doctors tomorrow and decide if he needs to do surgery or not," Stevens said.