Whether that’s the round world or the flat world is not exactly clear.

The Cleveland point guard made headlines in recent days when he questioned whether the Earth was round, first making the remarks on a podcast and then discussing them again at All-Star weekend – where they have become the talk of New Orleans.

”Out of all the podcast, that’s what you took out of it, the flat Earth?” Irving asked reporters who tried after the Eastern Conference practice on Saturday to pin him down on whether he genuinely believes it. ”The fact that it’s a social phenomenon, that Kyrie thinks the world is flat, is hilarious. … Does it matter to you that I believe the world is flat?”

Irving stated that, in his opinion, ”It really doesn’t matter.” Then he added, perhaps facetiously, ”The fact that it’s a conversation, I’m glad it got people talking like this.”

Irving got some support from Golden State’s Draymond Green, who defended those who might call Irving’s stance something less than solid.

”It’s just his opinion,” Green said. ”It’s hard to call someone’s opinions crazy. That’s what he thinks.”

Told that there is photo evidence that the Earth is in fact round, Green offered this response: ”Who’s to say that picture is telling the truth? … I’m not saying I think it’s flat. I don’t know. But it could be.”

LeBron James was so amused by the flat-Earth talk that he yelled over to Irving’s nearby spot during an interview session Saturday.

”Kyrie, the earth is flat, right?” James shouted.

”Yeah,” came the reply from Irving.

”That’s news,” James said. ”So there we go.”

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Coach Tyronn Lue says both stars would play Friday night in the opener of a six-game road trip.

Love missed a loss to Chicago on Wednesday and was limited in the previous game after suffering from food poisoning on New Year’s Day. Irving has sat out the last three games while battling right hamstring tightness.

The Cavs are trying to complete a trade for Atlanta’s Kyle Korver, but he won’t play even if it’s finalized Friday. Lue says only those at the morning shootaround would play in the game.

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Irving injured the hamstring against Boston on Thursday and didn’t play in Saturday’s win against Charlotte. The three-time All-Star is averaging 23.9 points and shooting 48 percent from the field.

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue didn’t know if Irving would be available when Cleveland hosts Chicago on Wednesday. Jordan McRae, who scored a season-high 20 points Saturday, will start in the backcourt again against New Orleans.

Cleveland (25-7) owns the best record in the Eastern Conference despite dealing with a series of injuries. Lue opted not to have a morning shootaround, partially because the Cavs are dressing only 10 players.

Mike Dunleavy (sprained right ankle) will miss his second straight game while J.R. Smith (fractured right thumb) could be out until the playoffs. Chris Andersen (torn ACL in right knee) is out for the season.

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In fact, he wouldn’t mind playing them a few more times in late April, May or June when it really matters.

”I hope,” he said.

Irving had 31 points and a career-high 13 assists while LeBron James scored 29 as the Cleveland Cavaliers won their second game in 24 hours over the young Bucks, 113-102 on Wednesday despite being without two starters.

The NBA champions were not at full strength as Kevin Love didn’t dress for the second straight game with a bruised left knee, and J.R. Smith sat out after breaking his right thumb Tuesday at Milwaukee. Smith needs surgery, and the Cavs won’t have a timetable on his return until after the operation.

They were barely missed as Cleveland’s two biggest stars more than made up for the absences and the Cavs won for the eighth time in nine games.

After his big performance Wednesday night, Irving was asked if he sees the Bucks as a contender, a team Cleveland could meet in the playoffs. Milwaukee beat the Cavs 118-101 on Nov. 29.

”I hope, man. It would be great, four games against them,” Irving said. ”I’m fired up to go against them every time now, for real. Ever since they kicked our (butts) in Milwaukee it’s been personal and it’s going to continue to be personal.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points and Jabari Parker 27 for the Bucks, who took the Cavs to overtime at home Tuesday but fell behind by 21 in the fourth quarter this time and couldn’t come back.

”They’re the champs,” Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd said. ”They showed that again tonight. They never panic. They’ve seen everything. For a young team like ourselves, we’re going through that. Hopefully, we can learn from our mistakes.”

Tristan Thompson added 15 rebounds for Cleveland.

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue wanted to rest Irving and James, who played a respective 47 and 45 minutes in Tuesday’s overtime win at Milwaukee.

”He came to me and asked me how I felt. I said great,” James said. ”He gave me a little look and I said, `I feel great,’ and uh, that was it.”

Like Irving, James sees the Bucks as a team to watch in the future, and a possible challenger to the Cavs in the East. Maybe not this season, but at some point.

”The next several years they could be really, really good,” James said. ”For me, I’m ready for whatever matchup. It doesn’t matter if it’s this year, or if it’s several years, I’m going to be ready for it.”

Irving scored 14 in the third quarter, capping the period with a three-point play to put Cleveland ahead by 15.

James made three 3-pointers in a span of 1:11 in the second to give Cleveland a 51-35 lead, but Lue, perhaps concerned about overworking his superstar, replaced him with Richard Jefferson.

James had an incredulous look as he ran off the floor and seemed to wonder why Lue would pull him while on such a shooting tear.

”He was mad,” Lue said.

”I wished he would’ve changed his mind,” James said. ”I had made three straight 3s. I don’t know. It’s cool, though. We won.”

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Irving complained about having ”heavy legs” before Cleveland’s win over Charlotte on Saturday, and coach Tyronn Lue said the training staff decided it was the right time to rest him.

Irving scored 11 points against the Hornets, snapping a streak of 12 straight games with at least 20. He’s averaging a career-high 23.9 points on 48 percent shooting for the defending NBA champions, who have won four straight. DeAndre Liggins will start for Irving.

The 24-year-old Irving is also expected to play Wednesday night when Cleveland visits Memphis.

The Grizzlies are resting center Marc Gasol for their matchup with the Cavs. Gasol was named the Western Conference player of the week after averaging 27.3 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as the Grizzlies went 4-0 last week.

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The All-Star guard will only divulge this: He’s getting closer.

Irving spoke Thursday about his status coming off the knee injury that kept him from all but one game of last season’s NBA Finals, when the Cavaliers fell to Golden State in six games. The Cavaliers open training camp later this month.

Irving says whatever the timeline is, ”it’ll be for the betterment of the team and for us to also compete for a world championship.”

Irving averaged 21.7 points and 5.2 assists for Cleveland last season, his first year playing alongside LeBron James. During the playoffs Cleveland was 10-3 with Irving on the floor, 4-3 when he was sidelined.

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Now they have to find their way past the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals without him.

Irving has a fractured left kneecap and will have surgery that could sideline him for three to four months, the Cavaliers said Friday.

Already without Kevin Love, the Cavaliers are now without their All-Star point guard, who had been playing in pain for most of the postseason and was injured again in the final minutes of Game 1 on Thursday night.

”As far as how we prepare, we’ve been through this. We’ve played games without Kevin, without Kyrie,” coach David Blatt said Friday, before the team announced Irving’s diagnosis. ”We know how we want to play when they’re not in there. From that standpoint, we can prepare. Our main concern right now though is just Kyrie’s health. That’s all.”

The Cavaliers said an MRI exam Friday at Stanford Sports Medicine Clinic revealed the injury and that surgery will be performed at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland by Cavaliers head team physician Dr. Richard Parker.

”Saddened by the way I had to go out but it doesn’t take away from being (a part) of a special playoff run with my brothers,” Irving wrote in a Twitter posting. ”Truly means a lot for all the support and love. I Gave it everything I had and have no regrets. I love this game no matter what and I’ll be back soon.”

Irving limped off the court during overtime of Cleveland’s 108-100 loss on Thursday night and left the arena on crutches. He has been bothered by foot and then knee pain for most of his first postseason, sitting out the second half of the series-clinching victory over Chicago in the second round.

He then missed two games during the Eastern Conference finals, but played well Thursday, finishing with 23 points before leaving with 2 minutes left in the extra period.

Matthew Dellavedova stepped in during Irving’s absence in the last round but played only 9 scoreless minutes Thursday.

LeBron James said Friday the Cavs would be prepared no matter who was available.

”Well, there are a few things that you would love to have going late in the season,” he said. ”That’s being healthy, having a great rhythm, and then you need a little luck as well. We’ve had a great rhythm. We haven’t had much luck, and we haven’t been healthy. But I haven’t gotten discouraged.

”I understand the moment that I’m in, and I’m not too much worried about the game. I’m worried about the moment. I’m happy with the moment. I’m excited to be in this moment once again, and I’m going to stay strong for my team, no matter who is or is not in the lineup.”

The Cavs have battled injuries throughout James’ first season back in Cleveland. Starting forward Anderson Varejao was lost to a ruptured left Achilles tendon months ago, then Love’s dislocated left shoulder came as the Cavs were finishing a first-round sweep of Boston.

Now they are without one of the league’s dynamic performers, who had posted the NBA’s two highest-scoring games this season with 57 and 55 points, against a team that Warriors already had a decided advantage in depth.

”Well, Golden State has a very deep roster that’s been one of their strengths throughout the season. We’ve been a team that’s been struck with injuries that has shortened ours to a certain extent,” Blatt said. ”I think we did pretty good coming through that. We’re here in the NBA Finals. But certainly their depth is something that has to be reckoned with, and it’s a factor for them.”

Still, the Warriors insisted it wouldn’t make things easier as they chase their first title in 40 years.

”So we can’t assume that Kyrie plays or doesn’t play that it’s going to be a cakewalk for us to get a championship,” Warriors star Stephen Curry said. ”It’s still going to be a challenge. It’s still going to be tough. We have to control what we control and do what we do.”

James scored 44 points Thursday, his most ever in the finals. He’s dealt with having important teammates hurting in the finals, from the Cavs shutting down Larry Hughes midway through the 2007 series to Dwyane Wade’s leg injuries last season.

He said the good thing now is the Cavs were already used to playing without Irving.

”So, next man up,” he said, ”and guys will be ready for the challenge.”

—

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

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If he can’t go in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers will have to figure out how to replace one of the best point guards in the NBA.

”Well, I mean, it’s the next man up,” LeBron James said.

But with a roster that’s already depleted by injuries, do the Cavaliers have enough next men against the powerful Golden State Warriors?

Kevin Love is already out for rest of the postseason with a shoulder injury, and Anderson Varejao was lost long ago. That has left the Cavaliers with just an eight-player rotation, not nearly enough against what might be the deepest team in the league.

The Warriors’ reserves outscored the Cavs’ 34-9 in their 108-100 overtime victory Thursday, and it seemed clear the Cavs ran out of gas down the stretch.

Cleveland coach David Blatt was asked if he can find more minutes for his reserves in Game 2.

”Certainly we can, but at the end of the day, people, it was a one-shot game,” he said. ”You’re there in the first game of the NBA Finals on an away floor, and we were in position to win that game. So in retrospect, yes, would have liked to have done that.

”Realistically, we put ourselves in position to win that game the way we played it. But like every other game, you look, and you see, and you adjust. When and if necessary, you change tactics.”

No such worries for the Warriors, who aren’t afraid to ride their reserves no matter the situation. In Game 1, that meant using Andre Iguodala for 32 minutes, mostly to defend James, and even going with backup center Festus Ezeli to start overtime.

”We have a lot of bodies,” Iguodala said. ”A lot of guys we threw at LeBron tonight. He made some tough shots, and that’s what we’re going to try to do throughout the whole series is make him take tough shots. Just try to wear teams down, and that’s what we’ve done all year.”

Irving had a strong game before departing, finishing with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and blocking Stephen Curry’s shot late in regulation to give the Cavs a chance to win it on their last possession.

Matthew Dellavedova played well in Irving’s absence when the All-Star missed two games in the Eastern Conference finals. The Australian wasn’t a factor Thursday, playing 9 scoreless minutes, but the Cavs may have to count on him Sunday.

”If Kyrie can’t go, Delly’s number is going to be called and everyone else has to pick each other up,” James said.

James said even he could play better, though that’s hard to imagine after he scored 44 in Game 1, his best finals performance ever. But with no Love, potentially no Irving and no reliable backups to speak of, there may be no other way for the Cavs to win the series.

”It’s not about me. It’s not about the next guy. It’s about all of us,” James said. ”We’re going to watch the film and get better for Game 2.”

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Irving was evaluated by team medical personnel before the game and the determination was made to hold him out, according to the Cavs. His status for Tuesday’s Game 4 remains questionable, the team said.

Irving arrived to Quicken Loans Arena more than 3½ hours early Sunday and underwent an intense 50-minute workout with player development coach Phil Handy involving a variety of shooting, ballhandling and full-court running drills.

However, the fourth-year veteran did not participate in the team portion of Cavs shootaround Sunday morning. He opted for some light personal work with Handy in the morning.

Irving aggravated his left knee in the third quarter of Game 1, causing him to miss Friday’s Game 2 after traveling with Cavs team physician Dr. Richard Parker to be examined by Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Florida. Matthew Dellavedova started in Irving’s place in Game 2, contributing 11 points, six rebounds and four steals in Cleveland’s 94-82 victory.

LeBron James wore a microphone during the TNT telecast Friday and was recorded saying to Irving, “I told you I got your back, G,” after the game. James said after practice Saturday that Irving believed it would have been detrimental to the Cavs’ success had he played in Game 2.

“Obviously, he didn’t feel like what he was going to be able to do was going to help the team. He felt like he was going to hurt the team,” James said. “That’s the only reason he would sit out, he felt like he was going to hurt the team. So I told him before the game, ‘That’s why we’re a team. That’s why it’s next man up, and that’s what I’m here for. I got your back and whatever decision that you decide to make, know that we’re ready for you whenever you decide to come back, whenever you’re ready physically and mentally to come back.’ That’s what it was about.”

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