The Russian slotman underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the real score on his shoulder injury, which he sustained when the Cavs faced the Milwaukee Bucks. This serves as more bad news for LeBron James and company, with a handful of the team’s stars already on the injured list.
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Cavs head coach David Blatt made light of the James’ substitution incident after the game.
“No matter who’s in the lineup, we need to play Cavs basketball the right way, ” James said. “I think being in Miami, the best thing about our team in Miami was that we could say whatever you wanted to say, when you wanted to say it, right then and there”.
“I mean, a guy that can handle the ball at that size (is special)”, James said. He was given a technical for arguing a call, bumped referee Ben Taylor after stepping on the floor and was tossed.
“At home, we won against the best team in the world”, he said. Kenny Atkinson coached the Hawks the rest of the night.
“Defensively, they were fantastic and we just had a hard time finding a shot”, Sixers coach Brett Brown said of the Heat. “We’ve got to do better”.
The Orlando Magic (6-7) will try to cool off the mentally focused Cleveland Cavaliers (10-3) this evening in what will be the final game of a three-game homestand. They still have two games left.
“One thing you can’t control is injuries but one thing you can control is how you play with the guys who are out there”, James said. “That’s not what we should be”. “We’re first on the court, ready for tip, and when they (opponent) look over there after they do their huddle, it sends a message that they’ve got to be ready to rumble”. James added 11 points, six rebounds and five assists for Cleveland, which had assists on 14 of its first 16 hoops and shot.
None of that mattered. At one point in the third quarter the Hawks deficit was 26 points, but a couple of second-half runs cut the Cavaliers lead down into the teens. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Knicks are even at 1-1 while the Cavaliers have a winning 4-1 record.
“As a player, you want to play”, Varejao said. “At the moment I tried to get more”.
“He’s been doing a great job”. Small forward Thabo Sefolosha made his first start of the season after coming off the bench for 11 games.
The Hawks (9-5) were without Thabo Sefolosha while Kyle Korver sat out the final two games with a high ankle sprain after Matthew Dellavedova fell on his leg in Game 2.
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NOTES: Hawks F/C Tiago Splitter left in the second half with soreness in his hip and didn’t return….
