Cavs' Love returns vs. Bucks
The Cleveland Cavaliers got Kevin Love back from a 20-game absence Monday night when they took on the Milwaukee Bucks. He had initially targeted a March 23 return.
Love, who had been sidelined with a hand fracture, started at center, and was kept on a 25-minute restriction. He went for 18 points (shooting 5-of-13 from the field and 4-of-9 from deep), seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in the Cavs' 124-117 win.
If you include the game in which Love was injured and left within the first five minutes, Cleveland went 11-10 in his absence. Since then, injuries to the rest of the roster have piled up and LeBron James has bemoaned the lack of a second All-Star teammate, but Cleveland has performed about the same on both sides of the ball as it did when Love was healthy - even if the team's record doesn't quite reflect it:
| Cavaliers | Record | O-Rating (rank) | D-Rating | Net Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before injury | 29-20 | 110.0 (8th) | 109.7 (29th) | 0.3 (15th) |
| Since injury | 11-10 | 109.9 (8th) | 109.0 (20th) | 0.9 (18th) |
The big caveat is that the Cavs remade their roster at the trade deadline following Love's injury, so the numbers with Love in the lineup may not accurately reflect the quality of the current team with him on it.