The battle for the No. 1 seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference just got interesting.
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star forward Kevin Love underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday morning and is expected to miss six weeks, the team has announced.
According to ESPN, Love’s injury first cropped up Saturday during Cleveland’s win over the Denver Nuggets. He still played 34 minutes in that game, though, tallying 16 points.
Love’s absence will be a significant blow to the Cavs, who already are without guard J.R. Smith and sit just two games ahead of the Boston Celtics — who have won 10 of their last 11 — for first place in the East. Forward LeBron James has voiced his concerns about Cleveland’s lack of depth and losing a player who entered Tuesday averaging 20 points and 11.1 rebounds per game this season certainly doesn’t help the Cavs’ cause.
News of Love’s injury also comes amid a report of the Toronto Raptors acquiring big man Serge Ibaka. The Raptors sit six games behind Cleveland in fourth place, while the red-hot Washington Wizards own the No. 3 seed at 4 1/2 games back.
Thumbnail photo via Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports Images
