Kevin Love can’t catch a break, it seems, but the Cavaliers forward can catch an elbow to his mouth. That mishap knocked one of his front teeth loose Tuesday, and it left him with concussion-like symptoms during a game against the Heat.
The incident occurred just over a minute into the contest, in which Love’s Cleveland squad was visiting Miami. He got between a driving Jordan Mickey and the basket, drawing a blocking foul while taking an inadvertent elbow as the Heat center rose toward the rim.
The blow knocked Love’s mouthguard out and jarred loose the tooth, at which he pointed while still on the floor. He remained down for a few moments, then left the game for the remainder of the first quarter.
Love returned to action in the second quarter, but he was reevaluated at halftime and ruled out of the rest of the game, a 98-79 Miami win. According to cleveland.com, Love was experiencing concussion-like symptoms, and the Cavs expected to find out Wednesday morning if the five-time all-star would enter the NBA’s medical protocol.
If so, Love would need to pass a set of examinations before being cleared to return. He is already considered questionable to play in Cleveland’s game Wednesday evening at the Charlotte Hornets.
Tuesday’s game was just the fifth for Love since he returned to the lineup following a six-week, 17-game absence with a broken hand. The Cavs had gone 4-0 in his return, during which he averaged 20.3 points and 10 rebounds, before falling to the Heat as Love managed just one point and one rebound in his shortened time on the court.
If Love is forced to miss more time, Cleveland will again need greater contributions from frontcourt players such as Larry Nance Jr. and Tristan Thompson, who combined for 23 rebounds Tuesday, plus Jeff Green. With just eight games left in the regular season, the Cavs might be tempted to bring Love back slowly and make sure he’s at full strength for the playoffs, but the team also has to fend off the 76ers and Pacers for the third seed in the East, with the Wizards not much further back.
If Love is officially diagnosed with a concussion, it would not be the first for the 29-year-old. He missed Game 3 of the 2016 NBA Finals with a concussion, but he returned to help the Cavs stun the Warriors in seven games.
Meanwhile, LeBron James didn’t suffer anything nearly as severe as Love’s injuries Tuesday, but his ego took a bruise on a second-quarter play in Miami. He drove to the hoop but his shot was strongly swatted away from behind by Dwyane Wade, James’s good friend who began the season as a teammate on the Cavs but was traded last month to the Heat.
Read more from The Post:
Carmelo Anthony says he’s happy to be a supporting player. He just hasn’t been good at it.
‘He brings out the dark side of human beings’: Gregg Popovich calls out President Trump
LiAngelo Ball declares for NBA draft. (He won’t get drafted.)
Jon Gruden ‘surprised’ Colin Kaepernick is out of NFL, thinks QB ‘probably’ will be back
Read Again https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/03/28/kevin-love-gets-tooth-knocked-loose-has-concussion-like-symptoms-after-elbow-to-the-mouth/Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Kevin Love gets tooth knocked loose, has concussion-like symptoms after elbow to the mouth"
Post a Comment