On Sunday night in Oakland, the Cleveland Cavaliers simply could not buy anything. The breaks came really expensive for the visiting team and things worsened when power forward Kevin Love left the game due to a concussion.
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In one rebound play, Love seemed to be all alone for the board until Warriors swingman Harrison Barnes came flying in and accidentally elbowing Love at the back of the head.
As such, Love has been placed under the league’s concussion protocol and FOX Sports Ohio discussed the situation and how it affects the Cavs schematics in Game 4, if Love fails to pass all tests in due time.
It will be quite a hurdle for Kevin Love to overcome as he must first pass every measure in a series of tests before he can return to the team. CBS Sports’ Ken Berger took to detail what needs to be done in order for the Cavs’ prized forward to be cleared for Game 4.
The return-to-play protocol involves escalating exertion — from a stationary bike, to jogging, to agility work, to non-contact team drills. Under league policy, Love must be symptom-free at each step before he is permitted to progress to the next step. If he experiences symptoms, he must stop, wait until he is symptom-free, and then resume the protocol with the last step he completed while symptom-free.
In the event that Kevin Love does not make it for the next game (knock on wood), coach Tyronn Lue would need to dig deep into his rotation to fill in those big shoes. It would not have to be a single player, but a collaboration of extra effort from bench guys such as Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, James Jones, and possibly Timofey Mozgov.
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But with two days of break, Love should make the most out of this rest period to recuperate and eventually contribute to a fading Cavaliers cause for a championship.