Cavaliers PG Kyrie Irving (back) will return Wednesday vs. Rockets
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving will return from a back injury on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets, according to a report from Chris Haynes of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland.
Irving sat out Monday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers with soreness in his back. After bothering him last Friday against the Charlotte Hornets, the injury prevented him from playing during the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Irving, 22, also missed a pair of games with a knee injury last month. He is averaging 20.4 points and 5.2 assists this season while shooting 45.3 percent from the field.
• GOLLIVER: LeBron James makes All-Clutch Team
After opening the season 17-10, the Cavaliers have lost six of their last eight games. LeBron James is expected to miss at least another week with knee and back injuries, and Cleveland is 1-4 since he was removed from the lineup.
On Monday, the Cavaliers acquired J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert from the New York Knicks and sent Dion Waiters to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a three-team trade. Smith could make his debut against the Rockets, while Shumpert is still recovering from a dislocated shoulder.
The Cavaliers are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, 7.5 games behind the first-place Atlanta Hawks. They host the Rockets on Wednesday.
• Carmelo Anthony: 'I'm not shutting it down for the season yet'
- Paul Palladino
