The four-time MVP is healthy, but the Cavaliers want to limit his minutes in the preseason.
The Pacers hit the road on Thursday, heading to Cleveland to take on the Cavs in a preseason exhibition. All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love remain sidelined from injuries they suffered during the 2015 playoffs, while Iman Shumpert is out for the foreseeable future after undergoing wrist surgery. The pair might end up getting most of their time together at practice in the Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence.
“We pushed the tempo”, Young said. “I know there’s a fine line between the preparation aspect and the health aspect for the start of the season, but we have a plan and we’re staying true to it”.
Even as the second unit rotated into the game, Indiana maintained double-digit leads. He did not play in the other three played so far. “In his storied career, he has amassed a lot of miles”. “We’re trying to keep those preseason miles to a minimum, thus the rest tonight”.
“James received an injection in his back this week, according to multiple sources, and is unlikely to play again in the preseason”, reported Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Over the next four minutes, the Pacers held the Cavaliers to just three points, and when George buried a three-point shot at the 4:46 mark, Indiana had a 46-26 advantage, its largest of the night to that point.
CAVALIERS: Timofey Mozgov led Cleveland with 16 points. Paul George scored 17 for the Pacers.
The real story of the night was the Pacers, who looked excellent for stretches, but without the Cavs putting much of their rotation talent on the floor, it’d probably be alarming if they hadn’t looked good. Andre Drummond had 14 points and 10 rebounds. The National Basketball Association roster maximum is 15 players.
“He wasn’t sore before the game and he needs to get in shape”, Blatt said when asked why Mozgov, who had surgery to clean out his knee this summer, was on the floor for 27 minutes.
Forward Tristan Thompson would likely be starting in Love’s absence, but the 24-year-old remains unsigned as he and the franchise remain at a standstill in negotiations for a contract extension. While there were certainly a few concerns that were exposed during the Pacers’ victory on both an individual and team-wide level, the Pacers’ win over the Cavs and the team’s continued preseason success are encouraging signs that the stylistic revolution in Indy is truly on its way to becoming something special. The Cavs struggled to score consistently with Mo Williams and Jared Cunningham playing point, and Richard Jefferson as the best playmaker off the dribble, against a Pacers team that played all of their regulars save Rodney Stuckey and Solomon Hill.
“We’ll see what happens at the beginning of next week”, Blatt said. “I have no feel for where he is”. “It was great to see him on the floor playing”.
