Kevin Love will not need surgery on his broken left hand but he won’t return to the lineup until late March, the Cavaliers announced on Feb. 2 before the team practiced in Independence.
Love was injured four minutes into first quarter of the Cavaliers game with the Pistons in Detroit on Jan. 30. The long bone attached to the little finger on his left hand is fractured.
Love was examined in New York City on Feb. 1 at the Hospital for Special Surgery by Cavaliers’ Head Team Physician Dr. James Rosneck and Dr. Steven Maschke of Cleveland Clinic Sports Health and Dr. Michelle Carlson of the Hospital for Special Surgery.
“Love will undergo a non-surgical treatment and rehabilitation process to repair the injury and is currently projected to be out for approximately eight weeks,” the Cavaliers announced in a statement. “His status will be updated as appropriate.”
Love is averaging 17.9 points and 9.4 rebounds a game. He started all 48 games before being sidelined.
“Just talking to him — yesterday or the day before — his spirits are down,” Coach Tyronn Lue said. “(He’s) just disappointed that he got hurt and I told him to just take his time ... and we can hold the fort down until he gets back. So he was down, but it’s part of the game. Hate to see anyone go through it but we just have to hold it down until he gets back.”
Jae Crowder is replacing Love in the starting lineup. An eight-week layoff would put Love on target to return March 30 in a home game against New Orleans.