Gordon Hayward goes down with gruesome injury
Five minutes into the most highly anticipated NBA season opener in recent memory, the scene turned from one of excitement into one of pure horror. After rising up to catch a Kyrie Irving lob pass, Gordon Hayward collided with LeBron James and came down awkwardly with his ankle in a position no human should ever have to witness.
Play was immediately stopped as Hayward found himself glued to the ground and paralyzed with pain. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dwyane Wade kneeled to the ground in prayer while players on both sides of the contest looked on in disbelief and terror.
The Celtics medical staff rushed to his side and stadium security gathered around the injured star to shield him from the crowds sight. Shortly after, Hayward was secured to a stretcher and ushered off court for further evaluation at a local hospital.
Although the atmosphere drained from the building as quickly as it had come, fans and NBA players from all across the country came together in solidarity to wish the Allstar small forward a speedy recovery.
Contrary to the hopes of many, team officials later announced that Hayward would need surgery and require a lengthy rehab process after suffering a dislocated ankle and a fractured tibia as a result of the tumble.
Despite the appalling injury, players came back down to earth and the game resumed. What looked to be a surefire Cavalier blowout became a neck and neck battle that came down to the wire.
Following the largest lead of the night, the Cavs offense imploded allowing the Celtics to come back from down 18 to take regain the upper hand in the fourth quarter.
Things were looking grim for Cleveland as the game closed in on the final whistle. Jaylen Brown was on fire and Kyrie Irving was running the Boston office like a well oiled machine.
In accordance with the usual script, The King kicked his game into high gear and utterly dominated the Celtics in clutch time. Behind a near triple double and some late game heroics by LeBron James, the Cavaliers pushed past Boston 102-99 in the closing minutes to secure their first victory of the regular season.
While Boston took multiple losses on the night, they still have 81 games left to figure out how to manage life without Hayward. His absence forces a shift in the landscape of the NBA’s playoff picture and teams will be sure to pounce on this unfortunate opportunity.
