Kyrie Irving is limping. Pau Gasol is aching. Chris Paul is limited. Kevin Love is gone. And the injury list around the NBA just keeps growing.
Welcome to the survival phase of the playoffs.
Health will surely factor into the Game 4s today’s schedule, when Cleveland visits Chicago and Houston visits the Los Angeles Clippers – with the Cavaliers and Rockets trying to avoid 3-1 deficits.
The Cavs revealed after Chicago’s win Game 3 that Irving has been playing through a sore foot since the first-round series against Boston. With Love already gone with the shoulder injury he got against Boston and with Irving ailing, even more pressure now gets heaped on LeBron James to keep the dream of a Cleveland title in 2015 alive.
“They need my leadership more than ever,” James said Saturday. “More than anybody on the team and I will not show any weakness.”