LeBron, Kyrie will not play vs. Heat; Love will suit up
On Friday, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue said he wouldn't be resting his stars until they locked up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Three days and two embarrassing losses later, he appears to be changing his approach.
A night after blowing a 26-point, fourth-quarter lead to the Atlanta Hawks, the Cavs will be without LeBron James (right calf strain) and Kyrie Irving (left knee tendinitis). Kevin Love, who was listed as doubtful, will play.
Tristan Thompson, who's been sidelined with a sprained thumb, will miss his fourth straight contest.
The Cavs' decision could have massive implications for nearly every East playoff team. It could help the Heat - who are tied with the eighth-place Chicago Bulls - sneak into the postseason. It could allow the Boston Celtics, who are tied with the Cavs but have lost the tiebreaker, to retake the No. 1 seed (the Celtics play the Brooklyn Nets on Monday).
It could also, ultimately, mean a second-round meeting with the Toronto Raptors, after it appeared the Raptors had played their way out of the Cavs' side of the playoff bracket.
Much, of course, is still to be determined. And given that the Cavs' starters got stomped Friday by the Hawks' B-team, we should at least allow for the possibility that the Cavs' reserves may be able to catch the Heat by surprise. The Nets have also been frisky lately, and likely won't roll over for the Celtics.
As of now, though, the decision looks like it will be a consequential one.