Kevin Love did not play for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. The 3-point shooting big man also played in just five minutes of Game 6 after suffering a concussion which, until Thursday morning, had us wondering whether Cleveland’s second-best player would find the floor to open the 2018 NBA Finals.
Now, we have our answer.
According to a release from the Cavaliers, Love has cleared concussion protocol and will be available to play in Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors Thursday night in Oakland.
Via Twitter:
STATUS UPDATE: @kevinlove has completed the NBA’s Concussion Return to Play Program and will be available to play tonight in #NBAFinals Game 1.https://t.co/Mi7Xicsh8k
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 31, 2018
Love has averaged 13.9 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game in the playoffs for Cleveland this season. He’s shooting a disappointing 34.6 percent from 3-point range, although he was particularly useful from beyond the arc in closeout games vs. the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors this year.
Does Love move the needle for the Cavaliers? They played well in Game 6 and Game 7 against Boston without him, and the hope as he returns is that his presence will be purely additive.
Game 1 tips at 6:00 PM PST on Thursday.