Cavs GM Griffin: Love 'highly unlikely' to return this season

Cavs GM Griffin: Love 'highly unlikely' to return this season

Published Apr. 28, 2015 1:03 p.m. ET

If the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to win their first title, they'll likely have to do it without one of their "Big 3."

Cavs general manager David Griffin delivered the bleak news about Love Tuesday.

Love injured his shoulder in a tie-up with Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk during the first quarter of Game 4.

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Olynyk apologized, saying he did not purposely attempt to injure Love, which the Cavs big man alleged after the game.

The NBA suspended Olynyk a game for the incident, one of a number of punishments, including a two-game suspension for Cavs guard J.R. Smith and $15,000 fine for center Kendrick Perkins, following the contentious series-clinching game of the first-round series between Cleveland and Boston.

Even without Love and Smith, Griffin remains optimistic about the Cavs' chances.

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