Kevin Love Injury: Updates on Cavaliers Star's Back and Return
Kevin Love left Cleveland's game with Atlanta with back spasms and is out for the team's game on Wednesday night. However, the forward will return to the team's lineup on Friday.
Continue for updates.
Love Will Return vs. Hornets
Friday, Jan. 2
Cavaliers play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod reported an update on Kevin Love's status:
Love missed one game, Wednesday's clash with the Bucks, with back spasms.
Love Exits With Back Spasms
Tuesday, Dec. 30
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love exited Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks with back spasms.
Bleacher Report's Ethan J. Skolnick had the news:
Love, 26, left the game with seven points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes of action.
Love is in his first year in Cleveland after an offseason trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Cavs sent the last two No. 1 overall picks, Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, to Minnesota to pair arguably the game's best power forward with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
The former UCLA star spent his first six NBA seasons with the Wolves, where he did not make the playoffs despite emerging as one of the league's best offensive players. Love became the first player since the merger to average 26 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the same season in 2013-14, per Basketball-Reference.com.
But his move to Cleveland came with expectations much higher than individual success. James' surprising return home and Love's subsequent arrival in Northeast Ohio came with championship expectations—even with some obvious holes on the roster.
"I'm committed to this team," Love told reporters when introduced, "committed long-term to the end goal and that is to win championships and to win a championship here in Ohio. We know it's earned, not given, but every day is an opportunity for us to get better and try to seize that opportunity."
Love's injury history was a factor few brought up when the deal was executed. The 6'10" big man played in 77 games last season but has missed nine or more contests in four of his previous six seasons. In 2012-13, he was limited to only 18 games due to a broken hand.
The Cavaliers have a star-heavy roster but are dangerously thin everywhere on the roster. Tristan Thompson and Shawn Marion would likely rotate in and out of the power forward role within games if Love has to miss any time.
Keeping these stars healthy is the only way Cleveland can compete in a deeper Eastern Conference.
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