LeBron James out for Cavs’ Thursday clash with Thunder, Durant
haven’t been quite as epic as desired, Thursday night’s game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder — nationally televised on TNT — stood out as one of the most anticipated fixtures on the league schedule when it was released this summer. With Durant recently returned from an injury that kept him out of the regular season’s first six weeks, it looked like a nice early test for each superstar and team.
Any contest between the two top players in a sport demands attention. While the various matchups between LeBron James and Kevin DurantUnfortunately, we are not going to get our wish, because LeBron has been ruled out of the game at Chesapeake Energy Arena due to a sore knee:
The Thunder and Cavs have one more game this regular season, scheduled for January 25 in Cleveland. Here’s hoping everyone is in good health for that one.
As noted by Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report, head coach David Blatt has chosen to start reserve guard/sparkplug Matthew Dellavedova in his place. With James in street clothes, expect Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to serve as the strong focus of the Cavs’ offense.
ESPN.com’s Marc Stein has more on the Cavs’ decision to hold out the most talented player in basketball:
It’s good news that James doesn’t appear to be in serious discomfort, but this is obviously a disappointment for anyone who likes a high-profile matchup of two incredibly special athletes. The bright side is that Durant, Irving, Love, and Russell Westbrook still lend the matchup plenty of star power.
Plus, if LeBron is able to suit up on Friday, then we’ll see him play against New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, an early MVP candidate and a favorite of anyone with League Pass. That would be a pretty nice consolation prize.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!