Lebron James had 29 points, 16 rebounds, and nine assists Tuesday night, as the reigning Eastern Conference Champion Cleveland Cavaliers got past the Boston Celtics 102-99 at Quicken Loans Arena in the NBA season opener.
The biggest story of the night was Gordon Hayward, who signed with Boston from Utah in the offseason. With 6:45 left in first quarter, Hayward went up for an alley oop pass that was never received and came down awkardly on his left ankle. Tests confirm that Hayward suffered a fractured left ankle, and may require surgery, possibly missing most or all the 2017-18 season.
The Celtics battled back from a 16 point halftime deficit and took a late third quarter one point lead, and led by as many as three in the fourth. Lebron took over in the final period, scoring 15 of his game high 29 and leading the Cavs to the win. Kyrie Irving had a chance to tie the game in closing seconds but came up short on a three point attempt. Kevin Love added 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Derrek Rose had 14 points for the 1-0 Cavaliers.
Jaylen Brown led Boston (0-1) with a career high 25 points and six rebounds. Iriving finished with 22 points, four rebounds, and 10 assists. Rookie Jayson Tatum had 14 points and 10 rebounds in his first career game. The Celts return back to Boston for their home opener Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks at 7:30 p.m.
