PHILADELPHIA -- Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love is on this quick two-game trip with his teammates so he can continue to rehab a high-grade strained right calf, but the five-time All-Star is “unlikely” to return until after the NBA All-Star break, league sources tell cleveland.com.
Given the Cavs only have two games remaining -- Monday in Houston and Wednesday at home against the Indiana Pacers -- before a needed nine-day break, sources said the team doesn’t see the upside in pushing it. They want to use the extra days to get his calf better, so he can be 100 percent for the Second Half.
Love once again went through a pregame workout prior to Saturday’s 112-109 overtime win against the Philadelphia 76ers. He received treatment during the first half of the game and supported his teammates on the sidelines down the stretch. A source labeled it one of Love’s “best pregame workouts” even though he ended it a bit early because of a minor cramp in his lower leg.
Sidelined since Dec. 27 after aggravating a calf injury originally suffered in the preseason opener, Love resumed individual basketball activities in early February and has continued rehab and treatment while having his progress assessed daily.
Various members of the organization were becoming cautiously optimistic about Love’s impending return, thinking it would happen in one of the final games of the First Half. Love was able to take part in back-to-back practices last week. But following the second one, Love felt soreness in his calf, sources say, which led to him sitting out the team portion of practice last Saturday.
While sources stopped short of calling that a “setback” because he wasn’t shut down completely, that flareup has played a role in Love being relegated to individual workouts. It’s also part of the reason behind this overly cautious post-break timeline.
When asked about Love on Tuesday, Bickerstaff said the veteran forward was “still progressing” despite not taking part in team portions of practices. A few days later, Bickerstaff said he had “no news” to share.
A five-time All-Star, Love is averaging 9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in two games this season.
The Cavs open the Second Half against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 12, the first stop on a three-game road trip following the break.
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Kevin Love ‘unlikely’ to return from calf injury before All-Star break, sources say - cleveland.com
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