Cavs’ Kevin Love Suffers Dislocated Shoulder In Series-Clinching Win Over Celtics

USA Today

The Cleveland Cavaliers took one step closer to the 2015 NBA Finals on Sunday with a series-clinching win over the Boston Celtics on the road at the TD Garden. Although the Cavaliers are on the their way to the second round of the NBA playoffs to face the winner between the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland has suffered a major blow with the loss of star power forward Kevin Love.

During the win over the Celtics, Love was tangled up with Boston’s Kelly Olynyk and immediately had to go to the locker room with a shoulder injury, via Vine:

Love was clearly in pain as a result of the injury and the news didn’t get any better with the team diagnosing the injury as a dislocated left shoulder, via ESPN:

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.

With Love suffering a shoulder dislocation, the veteran forward’s status is up in the air moving forward. Rotowire’s Jeff Stotts believes the injury could hold him out for quite some time, potentially the rest for the rest of the playoffs:

A lot of factors in play (extent of soft tissue & labrum damage) but average missed time for a shoulder dislocation in the NBA is 27 games.

— Jeff Stotts (@RotowireATC) April 26, 2015

Many anticipated the Cavaliers making easy work of the Celtics in the first round. The sweep came as no surprise, but the physicality of the series was a reality check for Cleveland. LeBron James and company may have one of the most talented roster in the postseason, but they may not have what it takes to win it all or potentially advance beyond the next round.

There’s been no timetable set for Love’s return as the team awaits the Bulls or Bucks in the second round of the playoffs.