During overtime in Game 1 of the NBA Finals last night, Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving limped off the court after injuring his knee and was unable to finish out the rest of the game. The injury occurred while Kyrie was attempting to drive to the basket but then collapsed to the floor, holding his left knee. He had been suffering from tendinitis in his left knee for some weeks now and he was hoping it was just a reaggravation. However, after getting an MRI done earlier today, it turns out that Kyrie has a fractured knee cap and will require surgery that will sideline him for the next three to four months. Obviously, this means that he will be out for all the remaining games of the NBA Finals.
Kyrie had been stellar all throughout Game 1, scoring 23 points with 7 rebounds and 6 assists throughout 44 minutes of playing time. He even made a huge play late in the fourth quarter, blocking a layup by Stephen Curry that would have otherwise sealed the Warriors’ victory in regulation. Despite his efforts, the Warriors ended up beating the Cavaliers in overtime 108-100.
With Kyrie out, the Cavaliers are now missing an integral part of their team. LeBron is arguably the best player in the NBA right now, but he needs help if he’s going to win four games against the heavily stacked and extremely talented Warriors. With the absence of the Cavaliers’ All-Star point guard, the Warriors will have a very strong advantage, on top of their 1-game lead, going into the next few games of the NBA Finals.