Did Jae Crowder Commit Dirty Play On Gordon Hayward’s Gruesome Injury?

Gordon Hayward dislocated his ankle and fractured his tibia in the first quarter Tuesday night as the Boston Celtics dropped their season opener to the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-99.

It was a gruesome injury Hayward suffered while landing awkwardly on a play in which he went up for the ball near the basket. There’s no word yet on how long the All-Star forward will be sidelined.

Several questions are floating around following the unfortunate incident, most of which center around Hayward’s future and Boston’s standing in the Eastern Conference. After all, the Celtics looked like legitimate NBA Finals contenders after signing Hayward and trading for Kyrie Irving, and now they’ll have to rely more on young, relatively unproven players.

But another question being tossed around concerns the actual play. Jae Crowder, who was traded from Boston to Cleveland over the offseason, spun and sort of undercut Hayward, resulting in an awkward collision that sent the Celtics forward to the floor.

Was it a dirty move?

Some folks on social media believe so.

https://twitter.com/SavvyPlunger/status/920645002585309185

https://twitter.com/WebbyAlmeida/status/920650815504896004

Of course, not everyone is pointing a finger at Crowder, who spent two-plus seasons with the Celtics before being traded to the Cavs. But the back story — Hayward replaced Crowder, who actually got upset last season when Boston fans cheered Hayward at TD Garden — sure makes things interesting.

What do you think?

Warning: the following video contains a graphic injury.

Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images