CLEVELAND: LeBron James will play tonight when the Cavs host the Chicago Bulls, but they will be without Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. James missed shootaround Wednesday morning because he was ill.
This marks the third game Irving has missed with his hamstring injury and Love tried fighting through his symptoms Monday before subbing out in the fourth quarter. The Cavs maintain, however, that Love has food poisoning and not the flu that seems to be ripping through the NBA.
Love has lost 10 pounds as a result, although coach Tyronn Lue said he has not been hospitalized at any point.
“He couldn’t keep food down and he got weaker,” Lue said of Love. “Not being able to keep the fluids down and not being able to catch up with his weight, (the training staff) thought it’d be better to give him another day and bring him back Friday.”
Channing Frye will start in place of Love, while Jordan McRae and DeAndre Liggins remain the starting backcourt.