Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love went from taking a trip to the hospital to recording one of the most spectacular performances by a big man in this young NBA season.
Against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, Love made sure that it wasn’t just LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo who would end the night with terrific numbers, as the Cavs big man had 32 points and pulled down 16 rebounds across 35 minutes of action in a 124-119 win over the Bucks.
While those numbers sound almost pedestrian in today’s NBA, it’s actually the first time a player has scored at least 32 points and grabbed at least 16 boards without chucking a shot from beyond the arc since the 2015-16 season. DeMarcus Cousins was the last to do it back on January 20, 2016.
Love was noticeably focused on doing damage inside, and he was successful with it. It was as if Love woke up Tuesday morning and decided to prove that he’s still capable of dominating without resorting to his range.
Love might continue to avoid taking a 3-point shot this Thursday against the Houston Rockets but it’ll take a tremendous amount of discipline to do so, as the Rockets are always ready to have a shootout with their opponents.
