Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love has been cleared to play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, after missing Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a concussion.
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 sustained the injury five minutes into Game 6 vs. the Celtics, when he inadvertently ran into Jason Tatum.
Kevin Love’s injury (possible concussion) pic.twitter.com/PZRNKkOSoR
— Sportsbook #MyBookie (@betmybookie) May 26, 2018
Love had struggled in the series up to that point, averaging just 12.5 points on 37.5 percent shooting while playing just 26 minutes per game. It was a far cry from Love’s excellent performance in the previous series vs. Toronto, where he averaged 20.5 points on 47.5 percent shooting in 34.6 minutes per game.
Though cleared to play, it is unclear if Love will start in Game 1 and how much time he will see on the floor.