The Cleveland Cavaliers got a near-heroic performance out of hobbled point guard Kyrie Irving in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, but it may have come at a grievous cost.
Irving helped take the game to overtime with a chasedown block on Steph Curry to preserve a tie just before the end of regulation. But in the extra frame, he took an awkward fall attempting a crossover, and appeared to re-injure his left knee.
He limped to the locker room visibly frustrated and did not return, missing the last few minutes of the Cavs' loss.
Irving was limping "badly" after the game in the Cavs' locker room, his left knee iced heavily. While head coach David Blatt said the team didn't have a firm grasp on Irving's status yet - he believes it was a non-contact injury - Irving himself was understandably in low spirits.
"My ACL's fine, my MCL's fine," Irving said following the game. "I don't know exactly what happened. I don't know. It's a little different than the other times. Obviously you can see the tone in my voice, I'm a little worried. It's just a natural reaction."
Like Blatt, Irving didn't provide an actual update - he'll undergo an MRI at some point Friday to evaluate the extent of any damage - though he expressed hope that the injury is only an aggravation rather than a more serious one. Some sounded less optimistic after he was spotted leaving the arena on crutches.
"To see him walk out on crutches right now," LeBron James said after the game. "It's a tough blow for our team."
Cavs guard Kyrie Irving left locker room using crutches. But laughing and joking with friends. pic.twitter.com/hNx5VD4lng
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) June 5, 2015
Irving has called himself day-to-day, and his status for Game 2 on Sunday should be considered up in the air until results of the MRI are released. The team will not provide a further update Thursday, with the MRI scheduled for Friday morning.
Irving has been dealing with soreness in the knee since the first round of the playoffs, and was consequently forced to missed two games in the Conference Finals. His status remained unclear throughout the Cavs' weak-long hiatus leading up the Game 1, but he said before the game that he would will himself to play.
And did he ever. Irving played a ridiculous 44 minutes and stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists, four steals, and two blocks, all while turning the ball over just once.
If Irving were to miss time, the Cavaliers' eight-man rotation would essentially shrink to seven, with Matthew Dellavedova being tasked with more responsibility. That was a tenuous proposition in Game 1, with Curry having his way against the Australian in short minutes.
