The Cleveland Cavaliers report that Kevin Love will miss the upcoming Eastern Conference semifinals. Love suffered a torn labrum when Boston’s Kelly Olynyk delivered a nasty hit in Boston in Game 4 this week. Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said it is “highly unlikely” Love will play in the post-season at all according to a tweet from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
LeBron James and company will play the first two games of the semis without scoring guard J.R. Smith also–Smith was suspended for hitting the Celtics Jae Crowder in the face. (Likely an act of retaliation.) LeBron responded by saying the Cavs will move forward using the attitude “next man up”–hoping reserves will step in for Love and Smith and rise to the occasion. It’s an attitude LeBron may bring to the off-season too. After a seemingly unhappy campaign in his first year in Cleveland, Kevin Love is expected to entertain lucrative offers to play elsewhere. He’d have a tough time leaving a Cavaliers team he’d helped to win a championship. But if Love is done for the season, he may have played his last game in Cleveland, period.
David Griffin says its “highly unlikely” that Kevin Love returns at any point during the playoffs.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 28, 2015
Full Cavs statement on Love pic.twitter.com/nSULXWNjVV — Sean Highkin (@highkin) April 27, 2015
