Cavaliers All-Star guard Kyrie Irving could miss another game, and this time his right knee isn’t to blame.
Irving skipped Friday’s morning shootaround with symptoms from a stomach flu that has coursed its way through Cleveland’s team and also sickened family members of players and coaches.
“He’s a little under the weather,” Cavs coach Byron Scott said, adding Irving will be re-evaluated before tipoff against the Memphis Grizzlies. The team listed Irving as “doubtful.”
Irving was recently held out of three games to rest a hyperextended right knee, and following Wednesday’s win over Utah, the 20-year-old said the injury was still bothering him. Those comments prompted Scott to say he would consider shutting down Irving again, rather than risk him making it worse.
However, after speaking with Irving and trainer Max Benton, Scott isn’t as worried.
“I don’t think the knee is that big of an issue,” said Scott, who had no explanation to why Irving would say his knee was not 100 percent.
“You’ll have to ask him,” Scott said.
This virulent flu bug has bitten the Cavs hard.
Rookies Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller as well as Daniel Gibson and team trainer Max Benton all missed games earlier this week with the stomach virus. Waiters is expected back after sitting out two games, and both he and Gibson are listed as “probable” to play against the Grizzlies.
Zeller returned on Wednesday after being sick and losing five pounds. He and Waiters became so ill last weekend that they had to be taken to the hospital.
Scott has been leery of making any unnecessary contact with his players.
“I’m not touching their hands right now,” he said. “We’re doing a lot of knuckles stuff. I’m trying to stay away from them as much as possible. Hopefully, this thing will be over today or tonight. It’s made its way through our team.”
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