Kevin Love is mad that he can’t play in Game 3 of the NBA Finals even though he felt as though he was healthy enough.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are down 2-0 to the Golden State Warriors, and Kevin Love’s terrible defense is part of the reason why. LeBron James isn’t the only player rumored to be leaving the Cavs if they lose, as Kevin Love trade rumors have been swirling around recently as well.
When Love was not medically cleared to play in a vital Game 3, he was not pleased. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, he lobbied hard to get clearance, especially since he was seen in shootarounds, and he described Love as being “very frustrated” with the decision that Tyronn Lue will be sitting him:
ESPN sources say Love has been lobbying hard for clearance to play Game 3 but has been told Friday's Game 4 is the soonest he'll be cleared
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 8, 2016
Kevin Love is "really frustrated" by the Cavs' insistence that he sits out tonight's Game 3, according to one source close to the situation.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 8, 2016
The earliest he can come back in the series is Game 4, but the Cavs might already be down 3-0 by that point. While many believe he has been a liability in this series, losing Kevin Love hurts the Cavaliers’ depth.
The best thing they can do is slot Tristan Thompson back into the four and start Channing Frye at center, which means we could see a large uptick in minutes for Timofey Mozgov. It’ll be interesting to see how the Cavaliers respond at home with their season on the line.
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