Cleveland Cavaliers center Kevin Love (0) is attended to after a first quarter injury during play against the Miami Heat in an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, March 27, 2018, in Miami. The Heat won the game 98-79. (AP Photo/Joe Skipper)
CLEVELAND — Cavaliers All-Star forward Kevin Love is back in Cleveland’s starting lineup against New Orleans after missing one game with a concussion.
Love, who recently returned from a broken left hand, sat out Wednesday’s game at Charlotte. He had sustained a concussion the previous night in Miami after he was accidentally hit in the face while defending Heat center Jordan Mickey in the foul lane. Love played just seven minutes and the Cavs were blown out.
Love also had a tooth damaged in the collision.
Cleveland has been a different team since Love returned to the lineup. It won the first four games after he came back and his outside shooting ability has allowed the Cavs, who have been besieged by injuries all season, to spread the floor.
Love is averaging 17.7 points and 9.2 rebounds. He has become the team’s second scoring option — after LeBron James — this season following Kyrie Irving’s trade to Boston.