LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love Resting Addressed by GM David Griffin

Saturday night's matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers was hyped as a star-studded showdown at Staples Center. 

However, the defending champions prevented the cross-conference clash from unfolding as expected when they announced LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love would all rest. 

According to Cavaliers general manager David Griffin, that decision was not popular among those in the league office.  

Speaking to ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne, Griffin said the NBA called him "seven minutes" after the Cavs announced they would rest their stars. He added that the league was "not happy" since the absence of James, Irving and Love stripped the ABC prime-time game of intrigue. 

But despite the NBA's displeasure, Griffin stood by the organization's call to give its big guns the night off. 

"The decision made itself," he said, per Shelburne. "Kyrie left the last game with a knee injury so we weren't going to have him play both games of a [back-to-back]."

Griffin added that Love was never going to play both halves of the Cavaliers' back-to-back, which will culminate with a showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night. 

Since Love and Irving were already sidelined, Griffin disclosed he didn't want to roll James out with a depleted supporting cast. 

"I can't make [LeBron] drag himself through this tonight by himself and then have everybody else play tomorrow and still not win," he said, per Shelburne. 

The Clippers proceeded to thump the Cavs 108-78, and the win allowed them to snap a three-game losing streak that included losses to the Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets. 

"I'd like to thank Ty Lue," Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said after the win, per ESPN.com's Jovan Buha. "He's my favorite coach."