NBA Finals Injury Update: Will Kevin Love Play Game 3? Cleveland Cavaliers Vs. Golden State Warriors


LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers just can’t catch a break. In the midst of one of the worst losses in NBA Finals history, the Cavs lost more than just Game 2 on Sunday night against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. They lost Kevin Love for half of a game — and maybe more. After taking an elbow to the back of the head from Warriors small forward Harrison Barnes, Love went to the floor for several minutes late in the second quarter.

After shaking it off, Kevin showed no further signs of any problems for the remainder of the quarter. In fact, he nailed a three-pointer on Cleveland’s next possession. Then, during halftime, Love seemed completely fine in Cleveland’s locker room. Since he showed no signs of a concussion, no one saw any reason to check on him any further — until the third quarter.

NBA Concussion Protocol

As Yahoo! Sports reported, Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said he didn’t notice any issues with Kevin Love until after the half.

“When we came back out in the third quarter, you could see in a timeout he looked kind of woozy. And then he went back on the floor for a second, and then we had to get him off the floor.”

After leaving the game in the third quarter and going back to Cavs’ locker room, Love would not return to Sunday night’s game.

Before the game was over on Sunday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers issued a statement regarding Kevin’s condition and their response as it relates to concussion protocol.

“Cavaliers forward Kevin Love experienced dizziness after returning to play at the start of the second half. He was taken to the locker room for further examination. The result of that exam is that he has now been placed in the NBA Concussion Protocol and will not return to play. Kevin did not exhibit any signs or symptoms during the first half, or at halftime, that would have caused him to be placed in the concussion protocol prior to now.”

Latest Updates On Kevin Love’s Condition

As of Monday evening, the only real update that Cavaliers fans have received is that Love had been cleared to travel back to Cleveland. Whether or not he will be able to play in Game 3 — or return to the NBA Finals at all — hasn’t been answered yet. The official injury report from ESPN has Love listed as “day-to-day.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VlMmfmnVm4

If Kevin Love isn’t able to return for the rest of the NBA Finals, it will be especially discouraging given the injury he suffered last year around this same time. In the 2015 NBA Playoffs, Love suffered an injury in the first round, forcing him to miss the rest of the post-season, including the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. After Kyrie Irving suffered an injury in Game 1 overtime of last year’s Finals, LeBron James was the only one of Cleveland’s “Big 3” that competed against the Warriors for the remainder of the series, which Cleveland ended up losing 4-2.


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NBA Finals: Where To Watch Game 3

Whether or not Kevin Love plays in Game 3 of the NBA Finals is yet to be determined. Either way, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors will play next on Wednesday, June 8, at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. The game is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. EST and will air on ABC. Game 4 of the NBA Finals will also be at The Q in Cleveland on Friday, June 10.

[Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]

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