Decision on Kevin Love will be made Wednesday
CLEVELAND >> Kevin Love did not participate in practice today and remains in the NBA’s concussion protocol. No decision is expected on his availability for Game 3 until Wednesday.
“He’s feeling better,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. “We won’t know until tomorrow.”
Lue wouldn’t divulge his plan if Love is unable to play. He could return Timofey Mozgov to the lineup for a more physical presence defensively or he could start Channing Frye to add another shooter. Both have played sparingly in this series. Lue could also play small and move LeBron James to power forward while starting another guard, either Matthew Dellavedova or Iman Shumpert.
Lue said he has discussed lineup changes with his staff, but wouldn’t go into detail about what, if any, changes he might make. When asked specifically about Mozgov, Lue said it was a possibility.
“Timo has to be ready,” Lue said. “There is a chance and an opportunity for him to play. We’ve talked about that as a staff.”
With the Cavs mired in an 0-2 deficit in these NBA Finals, LeBron James called Wednesday a must-win game.
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“It’s a must-win for us,” James said. “We can’t afford to go down 3-0 to any team, especially a team that’s 73-9 in the regular season and playing the type of basketball they’re playing. So it’s a do-or-die game for us and we understand that.”