On Opening Night, Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward suffered a gruesome injury that had everyone in the arena in disbelief. It was very hard for people to watch and it looked agonizing. The injury occurred just five minutes after the game had begun. While the players on the Celtics side huddled, other players like Cavaliers shooting guard Dwyane Wade kneeled on one knee and started praying. Doctors rushed quickly to Hayward and carted him off to the locker room. The Celtics rookie said after the game "you never want to see anything" like what happened to Gordon.
Players not only from the NBA but also players from the NFL sent out their prayers towards Gordon.
God bless you bro @gordonhayward ! 🙏🏾 help him thru this god!
— Paul George (@Yg_Trece) October 18, 2017
Can't even put into words.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) October 18, 2017
Gordon Hayward.
Feeling for you man.
Absolutely gut wrenching.
What does this injury mean for Gordan Hayward and the Celtics?
After the game, Coach Brad Stevens gave an update on Hayward's injury and said that he is diagnosed with a dislocated ankle and fractured tibia. This leads to the Celtics losing their big free agent signing for the rest of the season and sets them back from contention. Earlier this summer before the Celtics made the blockbuster trade to acquire Kyrie Irving, Danny Ainge and the Celtics made a four year $128 million dollar investment to Hayward.
Hayward was an all-star player for the Utah Jazz who led them to the postseason last year. He was also coached under Brad Stevens when he was playing for Butler in College.
It was a great game overall
The game resumed and it ended up being a great one. One of the better moments was when Irving was guarding James on the left wing.
The game ended with the Cavs winning 102 to 99 after Irving missed the three from the right corner. James and Irving gave each other a handshake and hug and then went their separate ways. James finished the game with 29 points 16 rebounds (including 15 defensive rebounds) and 9 assists, while Irving finished the game with 22 points and 10 assists.
Jayson Tatum stood out the most in this game. He had a lot of energy. He drove to the basket a lot of times but also struggled from the 3 point line shooting 2 for 9 from long range. Overall he led all Celtics with 25 points. Look for him to have a big year.
What’s next for these two teams?
The Celtics will now have to figure out life without Hayward. It is impossible to think that they are still championship contenders, but they can still make the playoffs. As for the Cavaliers, JR Smith is not happy about coming off the bench and coach Tyronn Lue has to find a way to make him buy in.
