Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff gave a positive injury update on center Jarrett Allen before the team takes on the Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland.com Cavs reporter Chris Fedor wrote in a Saturday article.
“He’s progressing well,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Friday night. “Again, structurally everything is OK to this point. You just deal with the things that happen when you get hit in the eye and the swelling around the eye.
“He’s doing more on the court and it’s just a matter of when he can safely return.”
Allen, a defensive anchor for the Cavaliers, has not set foot on the court since he exited in the final four minutes of an early-March matchup with the Miami Heat with what the Cavs classify as an eye contusion. Heat center Bam Adebayo accidentally hit Allen in his right eye as he tried to tip a missed shot to the perimeter with his right hand.
Allen finished the night with six points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in just over 34 minutes played against the seventh-ranked team in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland managed to take a 3-1 record as forward Evan Mobley took up the center spot in Jarrett Allen’s stead, earning wins over the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards and falling to the second-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. Forward Isaac Okoro and Lamar Stevens took starts in all four games. Cavs guard Caris LeVert gained a start against the Hornets as guard Donovan Mitchell managed a sprain for his left finger.
On ESPN’s injury report, nets guard Ben Simmons was the only player listed as “out” for Brooklyn. He will not play in the team’s game against the Denver Nuggets.
The Cavs will tip off against the Nets at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesday in the Barclays Center. The game will be broadcasted on NBA TV and Bally Sports Ohio.