LeBron James said he was a “game-time” decision to play against his old team Tuesday night, waiting to make sure he came through all the treatments and warm-ups properly on an injured right knee before taking the floor against the Miami Heat.
And then in the second quarter of Cleveland’s 106-92 loss, James jammed his formerly sprained right wrist into Heat center Hassan Whiteside’s leg on a drive to the hoop.
James’ right knee was a victim of an awkward fall Monday night against Orlando. A balky back and left knee forced him out of nine games this season. The sprained wrist cost him No. 10, and he’s missed another as a precaution. He’s also sprained an ankle this season.
“Everything hurts, but I’m alright,” James said Tuesday night, his knees wrapped in ice and his feet soaking in an ice bucket after his 26-point effort.
The Cavs (43-26) finished the most grueling portion of their schedule against the Heat, concluding a stretch of 11 out of 14 games on the road since the All-Star break.
They held up quite well during that stretch – the last four were all on the road, and the Cavs scored 127, 128, and 123 in wins over Dallas, San Antonio, and Orlando in the first three. Cleveland maintains a two-game advantage for second in the East despite the loss to the Heat.
James said he’s “never in my 12-year career played for seeding. That’s just not how I work.” But if he’s going to play for coach David Blatt, that’s apparently going to change.
“We’ve got to finish in second place,” Blatt declared.
Resting James before the playoffs has been a priority for Cleveland since January when he returned to form after two weeks off. And it’s still going to happen sometime in Cleveland’s final 13 games.
But Blatt’s recent insistence on finishing second in the East – which means homecourt advantage for at least the first two series – and the Cavs’ 2-9 record without James do not align with the goal of resting him.
The Cavs are attempting to hold off Toronto and Chicago, and the Raptors picked up a game by beating the Pacers Tuesday night. Speaking of Indiana, the Cavs and Pacers would play each other in the first round if the playoffs started today, and Cleveland hosts the Pacers Friday night.
The Cavs also play a road game Sunday at Milwaukee, a potential first-round matchup if either Cleveland or the Bucks (but not both) slip a spot between now and mid-April.
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