Kevin Love Will Not Play vs. 76ers Due to Hip Injury; Ante Zizic to Start

Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love is dealing with hip soreness that will keep him out of Saturday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Per Joe Gabriele of the Cavs' official website, Ante Zizic will assume Love's spot in the starting lineup at Quicken Loans Arena. 

The move could be precautionary to get Love rest since he played 26 minutes in Friday's 106-102 loss against the Indiana Pacers. He has gone just 13-of-32 from the field over the past two games. 

Injury issues have become the central theme of Love's past two seasons. The 29-year-old missed significant time early in the 2016-17 campaign after he required arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Nonetheless, he posted a solid 19.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per contest last year.

This season, he has contributed 19.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in his first year as Cleveland's starting center.

Love's loss is a major blow for the Cavaliers. While LeBron James is the team's top scorer at 28.2 points per game, Love is its the best rebounder, and his effectiveness from beyond the arc (36.8 percent) stretches defenses and makes him a true inside-outside scoring threat.

Cleveland had its 13-game winning streak snapped against the Pacers, so taking an opportunity to get Love time off and preserve him for the rest of the season is essential for head coach Tyronn Lue.