Brad Stevens On Gordon Hayward Ankle Injury: 'We're All Feeling For Him'
CLEVELAND (CBS/AP) — Gordon Hayward's face was etched in pain and shock.
Of all the juicy subplots for this hyped homecoming and a season opener between heated rivals, a serious injury to Hayward wasn't on the list.
Boston's season changed in a gruesome instant Tuesday night.
Hayward, one of the new Celtics who was going to help them close the gap on Cleveland, broke his left tibia and dislocated his left ankle just 5:15 into his debut, and Boston was beaten 102-99 by LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
Hayward's horrific injury overshadowed Kyrie Irving's return to Cleveland and re-directed Boston's immediate future and potential.
After the 27-year-old was wheeled from Quicken Loans Arena on a stretcher, offering a thumbs-up on his way to the ambulance, the Celtics rallied but came up short.
The outcome, though, hardly mattered.
"You hurt for him," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of Hayward, his former star at Butler. "It's a tough, tough deal, but I guess that's part of the risk of injury. I really feel for him."
Hayward, who signed a four-year, $128 million free agent contract with the Celtics this summer, was bumped by James while trying to catch an alley-oop pass with 6:45 left in the first quarter. The forward's leg got twisted underneath him as he came back to the floor and snapped his ankle grotesquely, his foot pointing awkwardly to one side.
The 27-year-old sat up, looked at his foot and yelled while some players covered their mouths and others turned their heads.
James said seeing Hayward get hurt reminded him of grisly injuries to Paul George, Shaun Livingston and Louisville's Kevin Ware.
"My thoughts and prayers go out to Gordon's family. Hope for a speedy recovery, a healthy recovery," James said. "Those are the injuries that you never see coming, you never want to happen, no matter who it is, no matter what the stature, no matter how much competitive nature that you have. It's just very unfortunate."
Hayward's injury changed the tenor of the highly anticipated matchup, and will alter the direction of Boston's season. Hayward will require surgery and need months to recover.
Hayward was taken directly to New England Baptist Hospital in Boston once the Celtics' plane landed overnight.
According to ESPN, Hayward will have surgery Wednesday.
The Celtics were understandably shaken at halftime, and went to the locker room down 16 as Stevens tried to calm his players.
"I don't have any magic words for that," he said. "We're all feeling for him. I'm not going to try to take the human element out of it."
The Celtics will host Milwaukee in their home opener at the Garden Wednesday night.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
