Gordon Hayward suffers ankle sprain in Game 1 vs 76ers (Video)

The Celtics suffered an injury setback in Game 1, with Gordon Hayward spraining his ankle

Hayward’s injury history is long and slightly complicated, but any setback is a severe one for a player that means so much to the Boston Celtics’ offensive execution. Hayward averages over 17 points-per-contest and is one of the more efficient players on the roster.

The former Butler Bulldog landed awkwardly on teammate Daniel Theis’ foot, and had to leave the game with the assistance of the Celtics training staff. Boston didn’t hesitate to designate Hayward as out for the rest of the game, and his availability for future games in this series could also be at risk.

Hayward’s injury didn’t look pretty in the moment, and puts a damper on the Celtics Game 1 win

Boston’s Game 1 win was impressive, as they held off a determined Joel Embiid, Al Horford and Tobias Harris. Eventually, Philadelphia’s turnovers finally reared their ugly head, and Jayson Tatum’s playoff career high of 32 points was enough to put Boston over the edge.

However, the loss of Hayward for any sustained period of time could sway the pendulum back in the 76ers direction, at least momentarily. As you can see in the clip, Hayward’s ankle fully bent on its side, leaving to question just how much flexibility he’ll have in his ligaments in the coming days.

With Hayward on the mend, Brad Stevens employed a lineup featuring more of Marcus Smart at the two, and Tatum playing almost exclusively small forward. It remains to be seen if he’ll need a long-term fix.