Love dislocates shoulder as Cavs sweep Celtics
BOSTON — Cavaliers forward Kevin Love dislocated his left shoulder in the first quarter of Game 4 against the Celtics on Sunday and was ruled out for the rest of the game, which Cleveland won, 101-93, to sweep the first-round series.
Love was tangled up with Boston’s Kelly Olynyk when the play occurred. Olynyk was called for a loose-ball foul with 5:22 remaining in the first quarter for clamping down on Love’s left arm and pulling down, causing the injury. The seventh-year forward sprinted immediately to the Cavs’ locker room while holding his shoulder after the contact.
The Cavs said Love will undergo further examination at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health in the next 24 hours.
“I thought it was a bush-league play,” Love said following the game. “I have no doubt in my mind that he did it on purpose.”
After the game, Celtics teammate Evan Turner defended Olynyk, saying the play was not dirty.
“Kelly doesn’t have a mean bone in his body,” Turner said. “And, obviously, with a star player it looks bad, but Kelly’s not that type of dude. K-Love should feel the same type of way because, what is it? A separated shoulder? That’s tough, man. It might be missing something very important, especially when that guys been battling for 7-8 years to make it to the playoffs. That’s tough as well. But if the league looks into it, they’ll do the right job on investigating, but Kelly is not that type of guy.”
Love had been averaging 18.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 47.1 percent from 3-point range during the Cavs’ 3-0 start to the series.
Later in the first half, Cavs reserve big man Kendrick Perkins pushed Boston’s Jae Crowder to the floor when setting a pick for LeBron James with 1:44 remaining in the second quarter.
On the ensuing fracas, Perkins appeared to jab Crowder in the face with his left fist. He and Crowder both received technical fouls.
After a referee’s review, Perkins was assessed a flagrant 1 foul for the play.
Crowder was later injured on a flagrant foul by the Cavaliers’ J.R. Smith, spraining his left knee after falling to the court on the play, in which Smith struck the Celtics forward in the face. Smith was ejected from the game.
ESPN.com’s Chris Forsberg contributed to this report.
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