Report: Kevin Love has partially torn thumb ligament but will play in Game 3
By Jason Patt
Kevin Love plans to play through a left thumb injury.
Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love left the team’s 100-97 Game 2 victory over the Indiana Pacers late in the fourth quarter with a left thumb injury, and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports Love suffered a partially torn ligament in the thumb. However, both Love and Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue expect the forward to play in Game 3 on Friday.
Love suffered the injury when he deflected a Victor Oladipo pass with just under four minutes to play. Love immediately left the game and was examined by trainers on the bench. He didn’t return as the Cavaliers held on to tie the series at 1-1. X-rays after the game came back negative.
Love hasn’t been at his best so far in the series. After a quiet Game 1 in which he scored just nine points on 3-of-8 shooting, the forward had 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting before leaving Game 2. Still, he’s the second-best player on the Cavaliers, and an absence could spell trouble against a Pacers team that has shown no fear of the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions.
Fortunately, Love is confident he will be able to play through this injury:
"I saw a replay too, and it didn’t look good. Hurt pretty bad. Initially, I told Ty afterward that I could have gone back in, but I think he liked the flow out there, and guys made big plays down the stretch.It’s not going to feel great tomorrow, but throw some ice on it, tape it up and be ready to go."
Love missed six weeks earlier this season with a broken left hand, so he’s lucky to have avoided that serious of an injury this time around. The Cavaliers will have to hope the injury doesn’t affect Love’s shooting too much. He shot 41.5 percent on 3-pointers during the regular season.
Next: 3 takeaways from the Cavs' Game 2 win
The Cavaliers face the Pacers in Indianapolis at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday night.