If you’re hunting for a Sam Hauser game log, you probably already know he’s not your average bench piece. He is a walking flamethrower. One night he looks like prime Ray Allen, and the next, he’s basically a cardio specialist. Honestly, that’s the charm of a movement shooter in Joe Mazzulla’s system.
But the 2025-26 season has been different. It’s been weirdly volatile. We’ve seen him go from a DNP-level slump to hitting seven threes in a single game against the Pacers. If you’re trying to make sense of his impact on the Boston Celtics right now, you have to look past the season averages. The real story is in the game-to-game swings.
The Rollercoaster: Breaking Down the Recent Sam Hauser Game Log
Let's get real about the numbers. On December 26, 2025, Hauser turned the Indiana Pacers’ defense into a highlight reel. He dropped 23 points. He didn't just score; he went 7-for-8 from deep. That is an 87.5% clip from three. Most players don’t shoot that well in an empty gym, let alone in a high-stakes divisional matchup.
Then, the script flipped.
Just two days later against Portland, he finished with 3 points. Then 5 points against Utah on December 30. This is the "Hauser Experience." When you live by the perimeter, you occasionally die by it too. But for the Celtics, those 23-point outbursts are the reason they can survive nights when Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown are resting.
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Why the Minutes Are Fluctuating
There’s been a lot of chatter lately about why Sam’s minutes are dipping. In October, he was seeing about 24 minutes a night. By December, that was down to roughly 20. Why? It’s not just the shooting. It’s the defensive matchups.
While Hauser has improved massively as a team defender—ranking in the 74th percentile in off-ball chaser defense—he still gets targeted in isolation. If a team has a hyper-athletic wing who can blow past him, Mazzulla pulls the plug early. You’ve probably noticed that in the game log; if he’s not hitting shots and he's getting cooked on the other end, his floor time evaporates.
The Career-High That Still Haunts the Jazz
You can't talk about Hauser's statistical profile without mentioning March 10, 2025. That was the night he officially graduated from "specialist" to "problem." With Tatum sidelined, Sam stepped into the starting lineup against the Utah Jazz and exploded for 33 points.
He hit nine threes that night. Seven of them came in a single quarter.
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- Final Line: 33 PTS, 6 REB, 11-23 FG.
- The Kicker: He hit a dagger three with 1:20 left to seal the game after Utah tried to mount a comeback.
That game is the blueprint. It showed that if you give him the volume, he can carry an offense for stretches. In the 2025-26 season, we haven't seen another 30-piece yet, but the 19-point performance against Toronto on January 9, 2026, felt like a callback. He shot 70% from the floor and looked completely unbothered by the length of the Raptors' wings.
The "Zero-Two" Stat
Here is a fun bit of trivia for the stat nerds: On more than one occasion, Hauser has finished a game taking over 10 shots without a single two-point attempt. On one famous night, he took 21 threes and zero twos. That is almost impossible in the modern NBA, but it speaks to his role. He isn't there to slash. He isn't there to post up. He is there to stand 26 feet away and make the defense choice between leaving a lane open or giving up three points.
How to Read His Impact (Beyond the Box Score)
If you’re looking at a Sam Hauser game log and seeing 0 points in 21 minutes (like the December 11 game against the Bucks), you might think he was useless. You’d be wrong.
Gravity is a real thing in basketball. Even when Hauser is 0-for-10, defenders don't leave him. They can't. The fear of him getting hot keeps the floor spaced for guys like Payton Pritchard to operate in the pick-and-roll.
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Defensive Metrics to Watch:
- Ball Screen Navigation: He’s currently in the 69th percentile. He’s gotten much better at fighting over screens.
- Defensive Rating: The Celtics are statistically better defensively when he’s on the floor compared to some of their other bench options, largely because he doesn't gamble. He stays home.
What’s Next for Sam Hauser?
The Celtics signed him to a 4-year, $45 million extension for a reason. They know what he is. He’s a stabilizer. As we head deeper into the 2026 calendar, keep an eye on his "starts." When Hauser starts, his confidence seems to double.
If you're tracking him for fantasy or just because you're a C's diehard, look at the opponent's defensive style. He torches "drop" coverages. If a team like Indiana or Utah plays back, he will find the windows. If a team switches everything (like Miami), his game log usually takes a hit because he struggles to create his own shot off the bounce.
Actionable Insights for the Rest of the Season:
- Watch the Shooting Splits: Sam usually starts the season slow and peaks in late January. We’re seeing that trend repeat in 2026.
- Monitor the Injury Report: His best games always come when one of the "Jays" sits out. If Tatum is out, Hauser’s shot volume usually jumps from 6 attempts to 15+.
- Check the Plus-Minus: Even on low-scoring nights, Hauser often finishes as a +10 or higher. That’s the "Gravity Effect" in action.
The 2025-26 season hasn't been a straight line for Sam, but the talent is undeniable. He remains one of the most efficient pure shooters in the league, and his game log is a testament to the boom-or-bust nature of the most dangerous role in basketball.
Practical Next Steps for Following Hauser
If you want to stay ahead of the curve on Sam’s performance, set alerts for the Celtics' starting lineups about 30 minutes before tip-off. His value and statistical output shift dramatically based on whether he's the 6th man or a spot-starter. Additionally, watch the "3PA" (Three-Point Attempts) column in his game logs; if he takes more than eight triples, the Celtics win nearly 80% of those games. High volume for Hauser usually correlates with a healthy, ball-moving Boston offense.