CLEVELAND (AP) Cavaliers forward Kevin Love could miss more than a month with a right calf injury he aggravated Sunday night in a game against Philadelphia.
The team said Tuesday that an MRI confirmed a calf strain and that Love will begin treatment and rehab and will not be reassessed for three to four more weeks.
The 32-year-old’s injury is a setback for the Cavs, who are off to their first 3-0 start since 2016. They host the New York Knicks on Tuesday night.
Love initially got hurt in Cleveland’s first exhibition game on Dec. 12 and sat out the opener against Charlotte last week to give it more rest. The five-time All-Star made his season debut and played 38 minutes in the Cavaliers’ double-overtime win at Detroit on Saturday.
He started and scored four points in nine minutes against the 76ers before leaving in the second quarter.
Before the game against the Pistons, Love said he had gotten kicked in the leg earlier this month in a preseason game against Indiana and that the injury had caused swelling throughout his calf and down to his Achilles tendon.
With Love out, coach J.B. Bickerstaff will likely put Larry Nance Jr. back in the starting lineup. Nance started the opener.
Love is in his seventh season with Cleveland, which is counting on him to lead a young team showing early signs of growth this season. He has averaged 18.2 points and 11.1 rebounds in his career since breaking in with Minnesota in 2008.
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