CLEVELAND -- Gordon Hayward's Celtic debut lasted only five minutes at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday night before the small forward went down with a serious left leg injury. The small forward was stretchered off the floor after staying down for several minutes while Celtics team doctors tended to him.
The Celtics later announced that Hayward, who was examined by both medical staffs and transported to the hospital, suffered a fractured left ankle.
The wing suffered the injury while going up for an alley-oop pass from Kyrie Irving just after the seven-minute mark in the first quarter. Hayward jumped for the pass and got sandwiched between Jae Crowder and LeBron James who broke up the play. Hayward's left leg was bent completely back in midair as he came down to the court and he landed awkwardly on the ground without the ability to brace himself following the collision.
WARNING: Video is graphic
This is awful. Gordon Hayward broke his leg. pic.twitter.com/KaxIlIKQle
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) October 18, 2017
That was likely a fracture-dislocation of Gordon Hayward's ankle. I'm devastated for him.
— DocFlynn (@jessdeede) October 18, 2017