Rookie guard Kyrie Irving sat out Wednesday during the Cavaliers’ 99-92 win over the Los Angeles Clippers because he suffered a concussion the previous night when he smacked the back of his head against the left knee of Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade.
There is no timetable for Irving’s return. He was evaluated this afternoon at the Cleveland Clinic, and his status remains day-to-day. Irving must be symptom free before he is allowed to practice again.
Irving hit his head with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter of the Cavs’ 107-91 loss to the Heat. He stayed in the game until he left for good with 1:27 remaining.
Irving beat rookie guard Norris Cole off the dribble at the top of the key, drove through the lane and bumped into forward Chris Bosh as he missed a shot. After Irving ran into Bosh, he fell backward and hit the back of his head on Wade’s knee as he crashed to the floor. Cole, a Cleveland State University graduate, was called for a foul during the play.
Irving appeared to be shaken immediately after he fell, but he wasn’t on the floor for long. Teammates Alonzo Gee and Antawn Jamison reached down to help him rise to his feet. Irving, who’s averaging 18 points and 5.1 assists per game, then made two free throws.
After Irving suffered the injury, he scored four of his 16 points and recorded one of his six assists. He made all four of his foul shots and missed two field-goal attempts.
Irving was bothered by a headache Tuesday night and Wednesday as he shot around during pregame warm-ups, Cavs coach Byron Scott said. He was tested for a concussion Wednesday night, diagnosed with one and ruled out shortly before tip-off. He missed his first game of the season.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at http://cavs.ohio.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/NateUlrichABJ
