Kevin Love: Cavs, Celtics Both Overcame Injuries to Make Conference Finals

Before the 2017-18 season tipped off, a Boston Celtics-Cleveland Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals showdown seemed inevitable.

Well, the two teams will indeed face off for a spot in the 2018 NBA Finals, but the road to this point did not play out as everyone expected.

Injuries nearly derailed the matchup, but Cleveland star Kevin Love noted, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin, that each squad found ways to overcome its respective situation:

"It's become expected, at least, us being the Cavs and all. I think because of how it started with them, two minutes into their season they lose an All-Star in Gordon Hayward, a guy who plays the game the right way and has played for [coach Brad] Stevens before, goes in there and is going to be a great fit for them. That was obviously tough. And them coming back and playing great from that, even right after that, I know they lost one game and then won a bunch straight. Then losing Kyrie, their No. 1 option, for the playoffs, and then everybody really stepping up.

"There's been a lot that's happened throughout the season with us and for them. ... In some ways it could be looked at as a surprise, but I think both teams stepped up their level of play."

Boston, of course, has overcome season-ending injuries to the two All-Stars it acquired last offseason.  Hayward dislocated his ankle and fractured his tibia just minutes into the season on opening night, and Kyrie Irving would be shut down after having April knee surgery. Marcus Smart missed the regular season's final 15 contests and the first four playoff games with a thumb injury, and Jaylen Brown missed one game in the second round with a hamstring injury.

On the other side, Cleveland was without offseason acquisition Isaiah Thomas (hip) for the season's first 36 games and had to play 21 contests without Kevin Love (thumb) during the middle of the season. Not to mention the fact that the Cavs underwent a roster overhaul at the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

All of that turmoil, and yet both teams are the last ones standing in the East.

The Cavaliers enter the series in much better health, not having any injuries of note. Meanwhile, the Celtics will still be without Hayward and Irving, the latter being the team's leading scorer during the regular season.

Even with rookie Jayson Tatum and Terry Rozier's strong postseason play, Love knows it would be a different series with his former teammate healthy.

"That would have definitely changed the series, but that's not taking away from anything they've done," Love said about Irving's injury, per McMenamin. "A number of those guys have stepped up, especially in their backcourt. 'Scary' Terry [Rozier] has played great for them."

A showdown between James-Thomas-Love and Irving-Hayward would have made for plenty of storylines, but the basketball gods would not allow that to happen. Both teams, though, enter the Eastern Conference Finals playing well, so it promises to be an intriguing series.