Kevin Love says Cavs can't use LeBron as excuse: 'We all have to play better'

Kevin Love has a fresh new look for the new year, ditching his handsome beard for a clean-shaven face. The Cleveland Cavaliers haven't kicked off 2015 with quite the same transformation.

Playing without LeBron James and Anderson Varejao, the Cavs have split a pair of games to start the year, dropping an ugly 19-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday to fall to 19-15. Any team would be forgiven for slowing down some with James sidelined, but Love and the Cavs don't have the luxury of slumping.

With Kyrie Irving sitting out Monday injured, too, Love is calling on his teammates to step up as required.

"Obviously we lose a lot with LeBron out," Love said Sunday. "But no, I don't think we can use him as an excuse. It's tough. We all have to play better. It's not just me, it's not just Ky(rie) Irving, it's not just Bron. It's all of us."

Love has scored 57 points over the last two games after averaging 16.7 in his first 31, and the scoring burden should be even heavier on Monday. He's shown he can be the top guy on a bad team in the past, but a suddenly paper-thin Cavs team will need him to help keep their heads above water for the next few weeks.

That's an easy task Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers, but the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors follow on the schedule. If Love grows the beard back later in the season, it may have a few additional gray hairs.