The Cleveland Cavaliers' quest to hold onto their playoff seeding took a hit on Wednesday, when the team announced that Kevin Love will enter concussion protocol.
As a result, Love will miss the Cavs' Wednesday matchup with the Charlotte Hornets. According to the team, his status will be updated "as appropriate."
The timing of Love's injury, which came as the result of a tooth subluxation following a collision with Miami Heat center Jordan Mickey on Tuesday night, is hardly ideal for the Cavs, who are currently entrenched in a battle for the No. 3-seed in the Eastern Conference. Following its 98-79 loss to the Heat on Tuesday, Cleveland now possesses just a half-game lead over the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers for the third seed in the East.
Locking up the No. 3-seed would allow the Cavs to avoid the top-seeded Toronto Raptors until the Eastern Conference Finals, while a fall to the five-seed would leave the Cavs without homecourt advantage for at least the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Prior to its loss to the Heat, Cleveland had been enjoying a five-game winning streak, four games of which came following Love's return to the Cavs' lineup. Due to a fractured bone in his left hand, the 5-time All-Star had missed 20 games from Jan. 31 to March 17, with Cleveland amassing an 11-9 record in that span.
With Love back on the floor, the Cavs appeared to be hitting their late-season stride, scoring at least 120 points in each of the first four games following his return. Cleveland now once again finds itself waiting on another return from Love, who is averaging 17.7 points and 9.2 rebounds this season.
