Denver Nuggets Bones Hyland: “The back-to-back-to-back threes – that was one of the biggest moments in playoff basketball.” (April 2022 NBA Playoffs)

Bones Hyland of the Denver Nuggets lit up the court during game 4 of the 2022 NBA playoffs against the Golden State Warriors. Denver was down three games to none, and needed to shift the momentum. Hyland helped the Nuggets do just that when he hit a trio of three-pointers in just over a minute. “The back-to-back-to-back threes – that was one of the biggest moments in playoff basketball,” Hyland said.  The Nuggets won 126 - 121. Even though Denver would go on to lose the series, that moment gave Hyland the chance to show what he could do against NBA greats like Steph Curry and Draymond Green. “When I step on a court, I believe I'm a star. So when I'm going against other stars, I got love and respect for them. But when we're in between the lines, you know it's war,” Hyland said. Hyland is 22-years-old and starting his second year with the Nuggets. But his career nearly ended before it began. When he was 17, he had to jump out of his bedroom window to escape a house fire in Wilmington, Del. He tore his patella tendon, and doctors told him he would never play again. But Hyland didn’t give up. “Zero chance,” he said. “I don't listen to that.” Hyland lost his grandmother and his baby cousin in the fire. He now has tattoos honoring them on his left arm. “If I'm going through something or I just need some extra motivation, you know, I just look to my left arm and my shoulder and that's my why – right there,” he said. Find out about upcoming guests and other news by following Religion of Sports on Twitter or Instagram. Subscribe to our newsletter for more sports news.

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