The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered an upset loss at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. However, the defeat isn’t the Cavs’ main concern as Ricky Rubio exited the game with an apparent knee injury.
While driving into the paint near the two-minute mark of the fourth quarter, Rubio came sprawling down to the floor after his right foot slipped. The ensuing scene was heartbreaking as the Cavs point guard held on to his left knee while writhing in pain. Rubio was carried off the floor by his teammates, leaving the game for good.
Following the contest, Kevin Love sent out a hopeful message for Rubio on social media.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Cavs veteran will undergo an MRI on Wednesday morning.
Ricky Rubio is one of the main reasons behind Cleveland’s surge this season. His court savvy and playmaking helped the Cavs calm several storms during games. Coach JB Bickerstaff always goes to Rubio and Love to stabilize the team’s play.
Throughout 34 games, Rubio holds averages of 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.4 steals. With Darius Garland in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the Cavs will have to dig deep into their roster for more able bodies. Cleveland had already maneuvered through multiple injuries to its key players despite having one of the toughest schedules in the league.
Seven of the Cavs’ next 10 games are on the road with two of those visits being up against the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz.
Above all, the main hope is for Ricky Rubio to evade the worst-case scenario.
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