Kyrie Irving, Tyronn Lue Talk 9-Day Break in NBA Playoffs, Practice Schedule

The fact the second-round playoff series between the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards will go the full seven games is welcome news for NBA fans looking for thrilling action but bad news for those anticipating the return to the floor for the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

Count the Cavaliers themselves among that group.

"We're itching to play," Kyrie Irving said Saturday, per the Associated Press (h/t USA Today).

Cleveland will play the winner of Monday's game in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 1 will be Wednesday and mark a nine-day break between contests for Cleveland, which the AP noted is its longest postseason break since 2006.

"You got to keep them engaged and show them new things," head coach Tyronn Lue said of practices, per the AP. "I've got to trick them at times, but they've been pretty locked in and we've just got to continue to do what we do."

According to the AP, Lue has avoided five-on-five scrimmages. Irving said, "some guys get a little bit antsy," but the AP noted backup big man Walter Tavares broke his hand during a pickup game between reserves, leading to more understanding of Lue's plan.

It is hard to argue with the results.

Cleveland earned seven days off in between Game 4 of its first-round sweep of the Indiana Pacers and Game 1 of its second-round series against the Toronto Raptors and proceeded to beat the Raptors by 15.25 points a night in a second straight sweep.

LeBron James is rested and in rare form even as one of the best players in NBA history with 34.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.1 assists a night in the playoffs. Irving is averaging 23.8 points a night in support.

Things will likely become more challenging for the Cavaliers at some point in the postseason (especially if they play the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals for the third straight year), but for now, their biggest opponent is avoiding rust during an extensive break.