Written by Dave McMenamin at ESPN.com
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and is expected to be out of the lineup for six weeks, the team announced.
The surgery, performed by Dr. David Altchek on Tuesday in New York, removed a loose body from the knee.
“Sucks,” LeBron James said before the Cavs’ shootaround Tuesday morning, in advance of their 116-108 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. “It’s just our road every season. One of our key guys get hurt and this year has probably been the worst out of all years — having our starting 2-guard [J.R. Smith] out for so long and now having our All-Star power forward out for an extended period of time.
“It’s just next man up and we just hope for a healthy and speedy recovery for our All-Star.”
Love’s rehabilitation will cause him to miss this weekend’s All-Star Game in New Orleans. It was his first invite to the February festivities since joining the Cavs in 2014, and fourth overall.
Also on the injured list is Smith, expected to miss a minimum of three more weeks after suffering a thumb injury on his shooting hand in December that required surgery. Chris “Birdman” Andersen and Mo Williams underwent knee surgeries this season, prompting general manager David Griffin to trade both players to free up open roster spots.
Should Love return in six weeks, as estimated by the Cavs, he would still have about two weeks of the regular season (or nine to 10 games) to get ready for the playoffs.
“We don’t want to rush those guys back,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. “Health is the most important thing, we know that, and with two of our starters being out, we got to step up and play better. And I know we will. I’m confident that we’ll play well so guys got to be ready to play.”
To continue reading this article, click here.
