Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love reportedly could miss at least two weeks because of his shoulder injury, but the team may have upped its chances of keeping him in free agency. Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowksi reported the Cavaliers players' retaliation on Sunday against the Boston Celtics for injuring Love showed the team has Love's back, which may go a long ways toward convincing him to stay in Cleveland after the season.
Love has stepped up in 2015 NBA playoffs to the tune of 18.3 points and nine rebounds over the first three games, but that production could be halted for at least the next two weeks after Love dislocated his shoulder in Sunday's Game 4 against Boston.
"Nothing will be known for sure until MRI but word within Cavs team (on Sunday) is Kevin Love likely out a minimum of two weeks," ESPN's Brian Windorst tweeted. "... (An) announcement on Kevin Love prognosis (and) timetable may be delayed as he seeks (second) opinion, sources say."
The incident occurred early in the first quarter when Celtics center Kelly Olynyk yanked on Love's left arm while the two were going for a loose ball. Love later accused Olynyk of taking a cheap shot, something the Celtics center denied.
Regardless of whether the injury to Love was intentional, several Cavaliers players appeared to retaliate against the Celtics later in the game. According to Wojnarowski, the retaliation by Love's teammates may go a long way to convincing Love to stay in Cleveland beyond this season.
"Something else happened, too, on Sunday and maybe it turns out to be a benefit for Cleveland's partnership with Love: The Cavs had his back," Wojnarowski wrote Sunday. "They went a little crazy, but they had his back. Kendrick Perkins leveled Jae Crowder on a screen, and J.R. Smith floored Crowder with a hellacious backhand to his face. They tried to hurt the Celtics back, and that doesn't happen much in the NBA anymore."
Cleveland went on to sweep the series with a 101-93 win.
As for free agency, previous reports paint Love as being on the fence about staying in free agency. A report from Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyle indicated Love wasn't set on staying in Cleveland and would only do so if he felt he were an integral part of the team, something which his teammates' actions on Sunday may have helped to show he is.
Love won't be short of suitors in July if he does choose to test free agency. Teams reportedly interested in him include the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks.
