Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love reportedly might miss at least two weeks of the 2015 NBA playoffs after dislocating his shoulder Sunday in Game 4 against the Boston Celtics. Love later accused Celtics center Kelly Olynyk of taking a cheap shot, saying there was "no doubt" Olynyk tried to injure him on purpose.
Love came up big for Cleveland in the first three games of the first-round series, but he managed to play only seven minutes in Game 4 before heading to the locker room with a shoulder injury. The incident occurred when Olynyk tangled with Love and seemingly pulled at Love's left arm while going for a loose ball. According to one report, the injury could sideline Love for at least two weeks.
"The Cavs said Love will undergo further examination at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health in the next 24 hours. A source told ESPN's Brian Windhorst that some Cavaliers players were told Love would miss a minimum of two weeks," Dave McMenamin of ESPN wrote Monday.
Olynyk received a loose-ball foul, but after the game Love voiced his displeasure over what he considered to be a cheap shot by the Celtics center.
"I thought it was a bush-league play," Love said, according to ESPN. "Olynyk was in a compromising position, had no chance to get the ball, and it's just too bad that he would go to those lengths to take somebody out of the game and do that to someone. I have no doubt in my mind that he did that on purpose. ...
"That's just not a basketball play," said Love, who averaged 18.3 points in the first three games of the series. "You look at the replay. I saw a picture of his arm underneath. It's just not a basketball play. Yeah, expect it to be physical, but when it has to go to that length, that's not the way it's supposed to be. That's not how you play basketball."
Olynyk later denied trying to hurt Love intentionally and called Love's assertion "ridiculous."
Was it a cheap shot?
