Hornets' Batum suffers knee injury in loss to Cavs

The Charlotte Hornets lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, but their bigger concern may rest with swingman Nicolas Batum's knee.

Batum left the 112-103 defeat in the first half with a left knee strain and did not return. The Hornets did not offer much detail after the contest, although head coach Steve Clifford did say they will be cautious with Batum going forward.

''It's not the time of year to be messing with it,'' Clifford told reporters. ''I don't think it will be anything long term, but we need him healthy. The priority will be him getting back to 100 percent before he plays again.''

Charlotte clinched a postseason spot Saturday night when the Detroit Pistons beat the Chicago Bulls. As of Sunday evening they were in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but only half a game out of third. The Hornets have six games left in the regular season, starting with Tuesday's date with the Toronto Raptors - a team they could face in the first round of the playoffs.

Ample rest for Batum could be the only logical choice in the season's final 10 days, given his importance to Charlotte's success this season. The Frenchman is the team's leader in assists, second leading scorer, a 35.3 percent 3-point shooter, and provides stellar perimeter defense.

Batum, sure to draw much interest as an unrestricted free agent this summer, has seen a significant statistical improvement over last season when he suffered through a down year with the Portland Trail Blazers.