LeBron doubtful for Friday, but Blatt says it's not a long-term injury
After sitting out the Kyrie Irving show on Wednesday night, LeBron James was keeping the spotlight where he felt it belonged.
LeBron before leaving the locker room after Kyrie's 55 pts: "I'm going to kindly decline to talk to you guys. This is his night"
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 29, 2015
Yet questions linger for James after he missed the game with sore wrist(s) and is listed as doubtful for Friday's game against the Sacramento Kings.
Cavs coach David Blatt attempted to calm fears about the injury after Wednesday's game, telling Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com that it's not something viewed as long term:
To the best of my knowledge there's no serious damage. And if it takes 48 hours, great. If it takes longer than that, that's what it's going to be. We're certainly not looking at anything long term.
James fell on both hands during Tuesday's win over the Detroit Pistons. He finished that contest, but soreness on Wednesday led him to miss his career-high 10th game.
The Cavs are rolling since James's return from back and knee issues, winning eight straight. Having Irving step up the way he did against a quality opponent like the Portland Trail Blazers with James out has to be a further confidence-builder for Cleveland.
Still, James's numbers since his return speak volumes on the Cavs' turnaround.
| Player | FG% | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeBron post-injury | 50.6 | 30.5 | 6.8 | 6.4 |
| LeBron pre-injury | 48.8 | 25.2 | 5.3 | 7.6 |