The Cleveland Cavaliers have enjoyed another stellar start to their season. Their 26-7 record places them atop the Eastern Conference and though the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and other teams have improved, the Cavs remain the heavy favorite to represent the East in the NBA Finals. The improved play of power forward Kevin Love has been integral in keeping Cleveland in the driver’s seat with LeBron James missing games here and there as they try to preserve him for the playoffs.
Love is putting up 22.2 points per game while grabbing 10.9 rebounds as he is meshing with James and guard Kyrie Irving like never before. Today, however, the Cavs received some bad news regarding the health status of Love. The star big man was known to be battling an illness and it appears that he has come down with food poisoning. Following from ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:
Ty Lue says Kevin Love ate some bad sea bass on the trip back from CHA, causing him to lose 10 lbs from food poisoning in the last two days
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 3, 2017
The loss of 10 pounds over a two-day span has to be the most concerning part for the Cavaliers. Though Love did play tonight during Cleveland’s 90-82 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, he participated in limited fashion, only accruing 24 minutes as he left halfway through the 4th quarter and did not return. Love managed to put up 12 points and 11 rebounds on an abysmal 5-19 shooting night in a matchup where Kyrie Irving was already absent due to a right hamstring issue.
The Cavs have still come out victorious in 8 of their last 9 contests despite the injuries with one of them being a triumph over the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. With Irving banged up and Love under the weather, Cleveland have to sustain a next man up mentality as they battle through these rough mid-season nicks and bruises.
