Bones Hyland never gave up. Never lost sight of his goals even when frustration clouded his view from the Clippers bench.
Hyland, a wiry shooting guard, came to the Clippers in a trade from the Denver Nuggets looking for a solid place in the rotation and for a moment, he found it. In his first 14 games in Los Angeles last season, he averaged 10.8 points in 18.9 minutes a game.
Hyland started two games and averaged more than 25 minutes in the first eight games this season but saw his role reduced to mop-up minutes after the James Harden trade. As the weeks wore on, he went from being one of the most accessible guys in the locker room to hiding from the media.
Then in February, Hyland, along with teammate P.J. Tucker, got sent home from the Bay Area in a move widely viewed as punishment for being disgruntled over the lack of playing time with Harden aboard.
All that was behind him Wednesday, though. Hyland, in his fifth start of the season, scored 37 points on 15-of-29 shooting, including six 3-pointers, and had nine assists in a lopsided loss to the Phoenix Suns. Four of the five starters sat out the third-to-last game of the season.
“I mean honestly it’s been an up and down curve for me, but I’ve been walking with God and my faith has been much higher since I’ve been not playing,” Hyland said. “Obviously, when I first came into the league I was in a rotation, so just coming over here and not playing for three months, four months, it’s been tough because I’m a kid who always wants to play.
“But like I said, at the end of the day I’m learning under guys that are Hall of Famers and I know my shot will come soon. In the meantime, I’m going to support my teammates as best as I can. We are looking forward to something bigger. So, it’s not just about me, it’s about the team that’s got something bigger.”
Coach Tyronn Lue said he realizes playing behind two future Hall of Famers in Russell Westbrook and Harden has been difficult for…
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