The Boston Celtics have a bright future ahead of them with a lot of young players in the fold and the Eastern Conference their's for the taking. Right now, however, their players are not looking at the future; they're looking at the now. Boston has a 1-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers and are going into Game 2 with all the confidence in the world.
Unfortunately, two things they won't have for Game 2, or the rest of this 2018 NBA postseason, are star point guard Kyrie Irving as well as star forward Gordon Hayward. Brad Stevens relayed the news to members of the media in the pre-game press conference before Game 2.
Brad Stevens reiterates that neither Gordon Hayward or Kyrie Irving will play this season—no matter how long it lasts.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) May 15, 2018
Hayward only played five minutes in the first game of the season, scoring two points and grabbing one rebound before suffering a gruesome lower leg injury that looked far worse than the simple “fractured leg” diagnosis.
Kyrie Irving had a left knee procedure done in March, and was ruled out four-to-six months, effectively ruling him out for the season. He finished the season averaging 24.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.8 three-pointers per game on a career-high 49.1 percent shooting from the field.