Kyrie Irving Injury: Cavaliers Star to Return vs. Nets

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving dealt with hamstring tightness that kept him out of two games, but he's ready to make his return. 

Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters that Irving will play Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets. 

ESPN's Dave McMenamin first reported that Irving would miss the Cavs' clash with the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 2. 

Irving battled some left calf tightness toward the end of the preseason, but it wasn't serious, and he returned to the floor in time for the start of the regular season.

However, minor hamstring issues cropped up down the stretch during the Cavs' 124-118 win over the Boston Celtics on Dec. 29, and Irving missed Cleveland's meeting with the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 31. 

Twenty-nine appearances into the 2016-17 season, Irving is averaging 23.9 points and 6.0 assists on 48.1 percent shooting from the field and a career-best 42.0 percent shooting from three.

Back in October, head coach Tyronn Lue compared Irving to former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, according to Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding:

"

Offensively, he has the same mentality as Kobe. Offensively, like Kobe, he doesn't have any weaknesses. He can go left, he can go right. Shoot pull-ups going right and left. Shoot behind the screen on threes. Catch-and-shoot. Post up. He has no offensive weaknesses. It is a comparison.

"

Getting Irving back is a huge boon to the Cavaliers, who remain one of the Eastern Conference's most dominant teams.