Boston Celtics: 3 takeaways from 2017-18 season opener

The Boston Celtics lost a heartbreaker in Cleveland 102-99 in their season opener. Sadly, this defeat was marred long before the game’s conclusion when Gordon Hayward went down with a gruesome ankle injury.

The Boston Celtics opened the 2017-18 NBA season on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Excitement levels were high before the game. One of the busiest and most league-altering offseasons in NBA history led to a battle between LeBron James and former heir apparent Kyrie Irving. The Celtics also had the chance to show off recent No. 3 overall pick, Jayson Tatum.

Unfortunately, the excitement quickly led to silence after Gordon Hayward‘s horrific ankle injury. A pall fell over the crowd early in the first quarter after Hayward brutally injured his left leg on an alley-oop attempt.

While the game ended in a heartbreaking 102-99 loss after an even more heartbreaking injury, the Celtics still had some positives to draw on after roaring back to life against the defending Eastern Conference champions. Here are three takeaways from a storyline-laden season opener for the Celtics.