CLEVELAND 102 BOSTON 99
Celtics’ prize free-agent acquisition breaks ankle early in opener. James has 29 points for Cavaliers.
Horrific start: New Celtic Hayward breaks his ankle in the first five minutes of the season.
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 three-pointer with 46.3 second left to put the Cavaliers up 10298.
Irving, who asked to be traded this summer after six seasons in Cleveland, had a chance to tie it with a three-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 18point deficit in the third and led with 2:04 left.
Love had 15 and Derrick Rose 14 in his debut for the Cavaliers.
Hayward, who signed a fouryear, $128-million free agent contract this summer, went up for an alley-oop pass midway through the first quarter and collided with James. Hayward’s leg twisted underneath him as he came back to the floor. The 27-year-old collapsed under the basket and looked in horror as his left foot was pointing outward.
He put his hands to his face and dropped back to the f loor as a hush fell over the charged sellout crowd.
Hayward’s new teammates huddled in prayer at their bench as a distressed James covered his mouth and several Cleveland players nearby looked away. Hayward had his leg placed in an air cast, and James came over and consoled him before the he was pushed from the floor on a stretcher and taken for treatment. Cleveland’s crowd gave Hayward a roaring ovation as he left.
The Celtics later confirmed that Hayward’s left ankle was broken. It’s a devastating blow to the Celtics, who had overhauled their roster with the signing of Hayward and acquisition of Irving.