Earlier start to the season means fans started rooting for their teams this week, as Cavalier roll over Celtics and Rockets outgun Warriors
Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward suffered a horrific leg injury against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The NBA is back with a bang after a drama-filled opening night.
Basketball fans didn’t have to wait as long this year thanks to an earlier start to the season. This was part of an effort to spread 82 games over a longer period of time, reducing the number of back-to-backs and, therefore, injuries and fatigue.
The Boston Celtics could not have asked for a worse start; not only did they lose 99-102 to their rivals – Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers – they lost star forward Gordon Hayward just six minutes into his first game as a Celtic, in what was one of the most horrifying leg injuries in recent memory.
Hayward suffered a fractured ankle and broken tibia bone and could miss the entire season.
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets defeated the defending champions Golden State Warriors 122-121 in a thriller. The Rockets are considered one of the few teams with enough firepower to defeat the Warriors, and tonight they showed why.
Warriors’ star forward Kevin Durant appeared to hit a shot at the buzzer to give his team a 123-122 victory, but a review showed that he released the shot 0.1 seconds too late, and the shot was waived off.