Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up
All Scores
Odds by

Kevin Love has surgery to repair shoulder injury, officially out for all of playoffs

Cavaliers Celtics Basketball

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love runs off the floor holding his shoulder during the first quarter of a first-round NBA playoff basketball game in Boston, Sunday, April 26, 2015. Love dislocated his left shoulder and left the game. (Gus Chan/The Plain Dealer via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT NO SALES

AP

The Cavaliers implied this was coming, but now it is official:

Kevin Love had surgery Wednesday afternoon to repair the torn labrum that was part of his dislocated shoulder, the Cavaliers announced. The recovery time for this is four to six months — he is out for the rest of the playoffs, no matter how far the Cavaliers advance. He should be ready for the start of next season (although he could miss or have a reduced workload for part of training camp).

Love suffered the injury when he was tangled up with the Celtics Kelly Olynyk during the Cavs sweep of the Celtics in the first round. Olynyk locked up Love’s arm and gave a tug, dislocating it. You knew it was bad when Love ran directly to the locker room after it happened.

Olynyk denied this was anything intentional, but Love thought it was calling the move “bush league.” The NBA sided with Love, giving Olynyk a one-game suspension for his part in the incident.

The Cavaliers will miss the floor spacing Love brings during the rest of the playoffs. Tristan Thompson will see an increased role with Love out, although expect a lot of Lebron James at the four.