Celtics vs. Cavs: Score, results, highlights from Cleveland's close win

Jordan Greer

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Celtics vs. Cavs: Score, results, highlights from Cleveland's close win image

The Celtics and Cavs kicked off the regular season schedule Tuesday night with an Eastern Conference finals rematch at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland captured a 102-99 victory behind a dominant performance by LeBron James, but there was a feeling of sadness overshadowing the contest after Gordon Hayward went down in the first quarter with a fractured left ankle. 

Hayward collapsed to the ground and had to be stretchered off the floor following an alley-oop attempt only five minutes into the game. It's unclear how long Hayward will be out, but young Celtics forwards like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum will be expected to fill the void in his absence.

LEBRON VS. KYRIE: Why the dynamic duo split up

Sporting News provided updates for the opening night matchup between the Celtics and Cavs below. Catch up on what you missed.

Celtics vs. Cavs: Score, results, highlights

Final score: Cavs 102, Celtics 99

10:34 p.m. ET — Of course it came down to LeBron and Kyrie. Irving misses a desperation 3-point attempt from the right wing as time expires with James in his face, and the Cavs hold on for the first win of the NBA season. The former teammates end it with a hug after a hard-fought outing. 

James finishes one assist short of a triple-double and leads all scorers with 29 points. Irving drops 22 points and adds 10 assists while Brown scores 25 points. (Full stats can be found HERE.)

10:30 p.m. ET — It's his 15th season, and LeBron James is still a force: 29 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists on 12-of-18 shooting. His throws a pinpoint pass to a wide open Kevin Love for a corner 3-pointer. Nothing but net. Cavs 102, Celtics 98 with 46.3 seconds left.

10:22 p.m. ET — It's not clean, but the Celtics are putting up a fight. Brown sinks a 3-pointer after a wild sequence, giving Boston a temporary lead. James answers with a deep shot of his own, then Tatum scores to give the Celtics a 92-91 advantage. Less than three minutes to go...

10:07 p.m. ET — Smart is putting his fingerprints all over this game. Grinding out possesions on defense and posting up Cavs defenders at any opportunity. Irving drills an open 3-pointer to give the Celtics a 79-78 advantage with less than nine minutes to go in regulation.

End of third quarter: Cavs 72, Celtics 71

9:55 p.m. ET —  The Cavs are in trouble. Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade are a combined 8-of-23 from the field for 20 points. Kyle Korver is unplayable on defense at this point in the game. The Celtics are playing with much more aggression and confidence. Rose beats the buzzer with a 3-pointer, but Boston wins the third quarter 33-18. We've got a game here.

9:47 p.m. ET — And here come the Celtics. Brown and Tatum are showing no fear against the veteran Cavs. Both youngsters keep attacking the basket and looking for their shots. Boston shoots out on a 25-13 run through the first nine minutes of the third quarter, cutting down the Cavs' advantage. Cleveland ahead 67-63 with 3:20 left in the third.

9:33 p.m. ET — James puts Marcus Smart in the spin cycle. Al Horford is hit with a technical for arguing with Crowder. The Cavs push the lead to 18 points. This could turn into a blowout.

Halftime: Cavs 54, Celtics 38

9:18 p.m. ET — It seems secondary at this point to talk basketball with Hayward's injury lingering over the entire game. The Celtics are playing with a lack of focus, and understandably so. Brown leads the Celtics with 12 points, and Irving has been limited to nine points in 20 minutes. James posted a 14-7-6 line, and Jae Crowder chipped in with 11 points.

9:08 p.m. ET — Hey, LeBron is still an awesome passer!

8:58 p.m. ET — The Celtics announce Hayward has been diagnosed with a fractured left ankle. Just terrible news for Hayward and his team. Let's hope for a speedy recovery.

8:51 p.m. ET — James leads all scorers with eight points to go with four assists and four rebounds. The Cavs are up by 11 with just under eight minutes left in the first half. The Celtics look out of sorts, particularly on offense.

End of first quarter: Cavs 29, Celtics 19

8:36 p.m. ET — The Celtics led 12-9 at the time of Hayward's injury, but the Cavs grabbed momentum and ended the quarter on a 20-7 run. The Celtics look shell-shocked, and it's hard to blame them. Hayward could be gone for the season.

8:21 p.m. ET — Oh no. Gordon Hayward is down with a serious injury. That is terrible. Cavs and Celtics players are stunned. Hayward is being taken off the floor on a stretcher.

8:15 p.m. ET — Jaylen Brown just forced James to make a business decision. Good call. The Celtics lead 10-9 with seven minutes left in the first quarter.

8:10 p.m. ET — Jayson Tatum, meet LeBron James. He's good at basketball.

8:04 p.m. ET — Kyrie Irving scores the first points of the game with a floater in the lane. The crowd isn't all that happy to see him. The Cleveland fans are booing him every time he touches the ball.

7:57 p.m. ET — How do these guys remember all these handshakes? Is there a test before you make the roster?

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.