National Basketball Association

Cavaliers starting forward Kevin Love out against Nuggets

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:58 p.m. ET

foxsports

CLEVELAND (AP) Cavaliers starting forward Kevin Love will sit out against Denver with an unspecified illness.

Love has missed four games this season for the Cavs, who clinch the Central Division title with a win over the Nuggets on Monday night.

Love did not participate in the team's morning shootaround and the Cavs announced that he was not playing about an hour before tip-off. Channing Frye will start for Love, who is averaging 15.6 points and 9.9 rebounds in his second season with Cleveland.

He was recently rested for a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, part of coach Tyronn Lue's plan to keep his starters fresh for the playoffs.

Love played only 16 minutes in Saturday's lopsided loss at Miami. The previous night he scored 14 points in 23 minutes - but was kept on the bench for the fourth quarter in a win over Orlando.