Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star forward Kevin Love might not be eligible to play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, as he continues to go through the league's concussion protocol. According to reports, Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue revealed that Love's status for Game 1 of the Finals is still unclear, telling reporters he's "not sure" if the 10-year veteran will be cleared.
Love collided with Boston Celtics' rookie Jayson Tatum during Game 6, and was not cleared to suit up for the pivotal Game 7 over the weekend. Jeff Green started in Love's place, scoring 19 points and grabbing eight rebounds in Cleveland's 87-79 victory. If Love is unable to go for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, Green will likely be inserted into the starting lineup once again.
Love has struggled throughout the post-season, averaging just 13.9 points per game on 38.8% shooting from the field, a sharp drop off from the 17.6 points on 45.8% shooting and 9.3 rebounds he averaged per game during the regular season.
The odds are already stacked against the Cavs in this series - the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas opened Golden State as a -1,000 favorite to win the Finals, making them the largest favorite in at least 16 seasons. According to ESPN, the Warriors opened as 12-point favorites for Thursday night's Game 1, which is tied for the largest point spread in an NBA Finals game since 2001, when the Los Angeles Lakers were a 12-point favorite over Allen Iverson's Philadelphia Sixers in Game 1.
Cavs vs Warriors part IV will get underway this Thursday night at 9:00pm ET, airing on ABC.