Cavaliers' Sexton Missing The Competition While NBA On Hiatus

Second-year guard was on scoring tear before break as Cleveland started show signs of coming together.

Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Not surprisingly, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton is missing playing, missing the games and missing time with his teammates.

"It's tough," he told veteran NBA insider Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. "It's really tough, just because we've been playing the game since we were 3 or 4 years old. When (something) takes the game away from you ... it's just at a standstill. It's kind of tough."

The NBA suspended the season March 11 when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. At least 10 other members of the NBA community have tested positive since then, including injured Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant.

Sexton, 21, is in his second season and has continued to be one of the league's top young scorers. He is averaging 25.5 points and shooting 53 percent over the last 10 games.

On top of that, he has yet to miss a game in his pro career, appearing in all 82 last season and all 65 this year.

But like the other 29 teams, the Cavaliers were instructed by the NBA to close their practice facilities. There is no telling when or if the league will resume the 2019-20 season.

The Cavs (19-46) last played March 10, a 108-103 road loss to the Chicago Bulls. Sexton scored 26 on 12-of-16 shooting.

"We all didn't imagine that was the last game of the season or (game) we'd play for a while," he told Haynes. "It's difficult because we all like to compete, we all like to win, to just go out there and play with that fire.

"Now you're trying to figure out, 'What can I do at home?'"

The Cavaliers said in a statement last week that they do not plan on testing for COVID-19 unless players or staff members begin to show symptoms. It has not been determined if any members of the organization have been tested.

Cleveland is 5-6 since coach J.B. Bickerstaff took over for John Beilein following the All-Star break.

Sam Amico covers the NBA and Cleveland Cavaliers for SI.com. Follow him @AmicoHoops.

• RELATED: Chris Haynes' Posted Up Podcast with Collin Sexton