Kevin Love Doubtful For Sunday's Game Against Miami Heat

Love injured his thumb in the Cavs double-OT win over Charlotte

Author:
Jon Rudder
Nov 19, 2022 4:25 PM EST

In this story:

Kevin Love is officially listed as doubtful for the Cleveland Cavaliers game on Sunday against the Miami Heat.

The team announced on Saturday afternoon that Love injured his right-thumb in the third quarter of the Cavs' 132-122 double overtime win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.

The Cavs said Love is dealing with a hairline fracture in the thumb and will continue to receive treatment and be evaluated on a daily basis. He scored six points and had seven rebounds in 24 minutes on Friday night.

Love is in the final year of a four-year, $120 million contract that pays him $30 million annually. In the last two years, Love has moved to a role coming off the bench and finished the 2021-22 season tied for the league lead in charges with 26.

This season, he is once again at the top of the NBA in charges drawn with ten. Love is averaging 11.4 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game in 21 minutes per game while coming off the bench.

Love is shooting 40 percent from three-point range and is tied for 6th in the NBA for triples made off the bench this season with 33. He is also tied for 3rd in the Eastern Conference in plus-mins at plus-99.

On Sunday against his former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Love connected on his 1,500th career three-pointer made and recently surpassed Zydrunas Ilgauskas for third place on the Cavs' all-time defensive rebounding list.

The Cavs recently ended a five-game losing streak and any potential absence of Love would be detrimental to the Wine and Gold's secondary scoring. Darius Garland scored 41 points on Friday night while Donovan Mitchell added 34 points, Evan Mobley poured in 21 points and Jarrett Allen contributed 20.

But the rest of the Cavaliers bench combined for 16-points in the double-overtime win.

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