< Gordon Hayward breaks his leg just five minutes into his career with the Boston Celtics.
Giants end suspension for cornerback Rodgers-Cromartie
The Giants have ended their suspension of veteran cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for insubordination. Team officials announced Tuesday that Rodgers-Cromartie was reinstated to the active roster after missing the team’s game against Denver on Sunday night. The team says Rodgers-Cromartie met with coach Ben McAdoo on Tuesday morning, then was taken off of the reserve/suspended by club list. The 31-year-old veteran was suspended for leaving the team facility before practice last week. He also left the bench then returned in the second half of the Giants’ loss to the Chargers, a move that prompted McAdoo to make Rodgers-Cromartie inactive for the Broncos game. Rodgers-Cromartie is in his 10th season, with 26 tackles in five games this year with four starts.
Panthers look to fill void left by injured LB Luke Kuechly
The Carolina Panthers are faced with the difficult task of replacing three-time All-Pro Luke Kuechly for the third time in three seasons. Only this time they don’t have A.J. Klein to fill in at middle linebacker. Kuechly is back in the NFL concussion protocol after taking a blow to the head in Carolina’s 28-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night. He attended practice on Tuesday but did not participate. Coach Ron Rivera said Kuechly is “advancing” in the NFL protocol, but said his status remains unclear for Sunday when the Panthers (4-2) visit the Chicago Bears (2-4).
Cleveland — Boston's Gordon Hayward broke his left ankle just five minutes into the season, a grisly injury that overshadowed Kyrie Irving's return to Cleveland and the Cavaliers' 102-99 win over the shocked Celtics on Tuesday night.
LeBron James scored 29 points — 13 in the fourth quarter — in his most extensive action in three weeks because of a sprained left ankle. He also fed Kevin Love for a critical 3-pointer with 46.3 second left to put the Cavs up 102-98.
Irving, who asked to be traded this summer after six seasons in Cleveland, had a chance to tie it with a 3-pointer at the horn but missed. Irving then shared a warm embrace with James, his teammate for three seasons.
Irving finished with 22 points for the Celtics, who overcame an 18-point deficit in the third and led with 2:04 left. Boston's guard was also called for a technical.
Hayward, who signed a fouryear, $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.
The 27-year-old sat up, looked at his foot and yelled in horror while some players covered their mouths and others turned their heads.
Hayward's stunning injury changed the tenor of the highly anticipated season opener between two of the league's best teams, and will likely alter the direction of Boston's season. Hayward will require surgery and need months to recover.
The Celtics were understandably shaken at halftime, and went to the locker room down 16.
However, they battled back and were still leading 98-97 when James, who only played in one exhibition after spraining his ankle on Sept. 27, spun in the lane and made a layup to put Cleveland up by one. On Boston's next possession, James cut off Marcus Smart and deflected the ball off the guard's leg and out of bounds.
James then made a crosscourt pass to a wide-open Love, who drained his 3 to give the Cavs a four-point cushion.
Irving's free throw made it 102-99, and the Celtics had two late chances but both Jaylen Brown and Irving missed late 3s.
Love had 15 and Derrick Rose 14 in his debut for the Cavs, who are trying to blend new faces and big egos quickly.
After the final horn, James and Irving, who spent part of the summer making subtle jabs at each other following the blockbuster trade, completed their signature handshake and the AllStar point guard greeted several former teammates.