The Cavaliers were ready to welcome home Kyrie Irving to the Q in Cleveland after he forced his way out of there during the offseason. He expected to hear boos when he was introduced, and he was showered with them. The Cavs were looking to get to out the gates fast and gain chemistry with their new look roster. The Cavs seemed sluggish but were able to get a lead at the half. The Celtics were able to come back in third and get the lead in the fourth. The Cavs regained the lead and it was up to Irving to get the game to overtime with a three-point shot.
He shot an airball as time expired and the Cavs escaped with a win on an up and down opening night.
Unfortunate half
The game didn't start well for the Celtics, as they suffered an injury to a key piece to their team. Gordon Hayward suffered an ankle injury five minutes into his debut and had to be carted off the court on a stretcher. The Celtics were shell-shocked by the injury, and it affected them as they trailed by double digits in the game. The Celtics simply couldn't make shots, as they were struggling from the field. LeBron James and the Cavs were able to get in the paint and make their free throws to have that lead going into the half.
Hayward was the only thing on people's minds during the first half, as many players from all sports reached out to him through social media to send their condolences.
Hayward was looking to give the Celtics the boost they needed to compete with the Cavs and Warriors this season. Now that he is probably done for the season, the Celtics will have to find another way to produce points.
Second half shootout
The Celtics seemed refocused coming out of the half and they were able to cut into the Cavs lead.
Jayson Tatum was struggling in the first half but he caught fire in the second half, making three-pointers and getting into the paint at will. A 33-point quarter helped cut the lead down to a single point. In the fourth quarter, LeBron James rose to the occasion once again, carrying his team to the finish line. James finished with 29 points and he had the pleasure of defending Kyrie Irving on the possible game-tying shot.
Irving pump faked, which allowed James time to close out and Irving sidestepped and put up a three-pointer that fell short.
Kyrie Irving finished with 22 points, but it was Jaylen Brown who led the team in scoring with 25. Brown should expect to get more minutes since Hayward is out with his injury. The Cavs looked like a team that needs to build chemistry and LeBron James echoed that. He said that he was out of shape and needs to get back in game shape, but also needs to make sure his ankle is ok, as he said it was sore after the game. The Cavs were able to escape with a win, but the bigger story is Gordon Hayward and how the Celtics will fare now that he is potentially done for the season.
