Kevin Love To Sit Out East Semifinals With Dislocated Shoulder

The Cleveland Cavaliers have ruled out forward Kevin Love for the second round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs due to a dislocated shoulder.

Kevin Love won’t be playing in the second round of the ongoing 2015 NBA Playoffs due to a dislocated shoulder. 

The Cavaliers issued a press release on their official website on April 27, saying Love sustained the injury during the first quarter of their Game 4 victory against the Boston Celtics on Sunday:

“Cavaliers forward Kevin Love sustained a left shoulder dislocation during the first quarter of yesterday’s game in Boston vs. the Celtics. His shoulder was assessed, reduced in the locker room, immobilized and he did not return to the game. 

“X-rays and (an) MRI have been performed, as well as further evaluation at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health today by Cavaliers head team physician Dr. Richard D. Parker and Dr. Mark Schickendantz. 

JUST IN on @SportsCenter: Cavs report that Kevin Love will be OUT for the entire Conference Semifinals. pic.twitter.com/xwAyGpIfC6— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 27, 2015

“Evaluation and imaging have defined the extent of the injury: an acute anterior inferior glenohumeral dislocation with the corresponding ligament/labrum tearing and humeral head bone bruising.

“Currently, Love is undergoing training room treatments while additional options are being obtained and treatment options being explored. Love will be unavailable for the Cavaliers’ upcoming Conference Semifinal playoff series and an update regarding his status beyond that will be determined over the next several days.”

According to The Northeast Ohio Media Group’s Chris Haynes, Love sustained the shoulder injury while he was battling Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk for a loose ball. It initially appeared they simply got tangled up and Love’s shoulder got injured.

However, Haynes has a different take:

“But after reveiwing the replay, an argument could be made that Olynyk deliberately intended to harm Love as he tugged and slightly twisted his arm,” says Haynes.

“It’s deflating.” – Chauncey Billups on Kevin Love being ruled out for ENTIRE second round. » http://t.co/zmM2kCWnEf pic.twitter.com/DYxpkXoLYg— ESPN (@espn) April 27, 2015

Love agrees. He told Haynes in the aftermath of the game that Olynyk orchestrated “a bush-league play”:

“I thought it was a bush-league play. I was out there and Olynyk was in a compromising position and had no chance to get the ball. It’s just too bad that he would go to those lengths to take somebody out of a game and do that to someone. 

“I had no doubt in my mind that he did that on purpose.”

For his part, an apolgetic Olynyk told The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach his side of the story on Monday:

“We were obviously fighting for the rebound. He grabbed my arm first. He clamped me and I clamped him back and we were wrestling for the ball. I tried to hold him away from it so that [Celtics guard] Avery [Bradley] could get it.”

Awkward… CSNNE cameras caught Love signing a Olynyk shirt before Game 4 #Celtics #Cavs http://t.co/kIlmsP4NgK pic.twitter.com/s6rPlhS2rV— CSNNE.com (@CSNNE) April 27, 2015

Olynyk told Himmelsbach he tried to reach out to those close to Love. He also added he would never hurt another player on purpose:

“I tried to contact a few people I know close to him just to say that, just to apologize for an unfortunate event. Obviously I would never intentionally hurt him or any player on the floor. I don’t think anybody in our league would intentionally try and hurt someone, especially at this time of year.

“But I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to him. It’s super unfortunate. It’s terrible the way it happened. But, you know, it’s a part of basketball. Everyone gets tangled up and stuff. Unfortunately it happened. 

“You’re always locked up, grabbing, pulling. It’s just unfortunate it happened.”

Olynyk then delivers the most compelling line of his Boston Globe interview when he says he’d “probably get killed” if he went to Cleveland:

“I’d probably get killed if I went to Cleveland right now. I don’t think iuf someone gave me their arm and I was running forward like that and locked up, I don’t think I could dislocate someone’s arm if I tried.

For the haters out there. I’ve known Kelly Olynyk since he was in grade school. He is an outstanding person. Not a dirty player. Period— chuck swirsky (@swirsk054) April 27, 2015

“I think it’s a real tough thing to do. Like I said before, it’s kind of ridiculous to say you intentionally meant to. I’d never intentionally hurt someone, him or anybody else for that matter.”

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin says the Cavaliers went 3-4 without Love during the regular season. 

Cleveland beat Boston, 101-93, to sweep their first-round series on April 26. The Cavaliers will face the winnner of the Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks matchup. 

Michael Carter-Williams scored 22 points and dished out eight assists to propel the Bucks to a 94-88 road win against the Bulls on Monday to trim the series deficit to 3-2. 

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