Celtics coach believes Hayward will fully recover from injury

Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens said Gordon Hayward is expected to make a full recovery from the gruesome injury he sustained in the team’s opener but the team doesn’t know how long it will take.

Stevens told reporters before the Celtics’ home opener against Milwaukee that Hayward has a dislocated ankle and broken tibia. He is expected to have surgery Wednesday night, according to ESPN. Stevens said he isn’t sure if Hayward will be able to return this season.

After playing his first seven years with the Utah Jazz, Hayward signed a four-year, $128 million contract this offseason to rejoin Stevens — his college coach — in Boston. But he was injured in the sixth minute of the first game when he landed awkwardly under the basket in Cleveland.

Bulls: Chicago suspended forward Bobby Portis for the first eight games for injuring teammate Nikola Mirotic during a fight at practice. Mirotic suffered multiple broken bones in his face as well as a concussion on Tuesday. He will likely need surgery and is out indefinitely.

Warriors: Golden State forward Draymond Green underwent an MRI exam on his strained left knee and his status for an upcoming road trip is unclear.

Green got hurt in the closing seconds of the third quarter of Tuesday’s season-opening 122121 home loss to Houston when he drove left to the basket, took an off-balanced shot and landed awkwardly.