OAKLAND – Less than 24 hours after suffering a 108-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered another loss in losing Kyrie Irving for the rest of the post-season.
Irving, who was battling thru tendinitis in his left knee for the past six weeks in missing the first two games of the East finals against the Atlanta Hawks, suffered his latest setback as he collapsed while driving with the ball late in the fourth quarter.
Per reports, he suffered a fractured left knee cap during an MRI on Friday that revealed no MCL/ACL damage, will undergo season-ending surgery. The timetable for his return is 3-4 months, which will cause him to miss the rest of the NBA Finals.
The former top overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft has dealt with—and suffered—a wide variety of injuries in both college and his three years in the NBA.
A major loss for a short-handed Cleveland team already without Kevin Love, Irving scored 23 points, had six assists, two blocks.