Hoops Habit
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Each NBA team’s most devastating injury in franchise history

By Christopher Jeter

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls. (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls. (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Most devastating injury in Cleveland Cavaliers history: Kyrie Irving/Kevin Love

Look, chances are that even if the 2014-15 Cleveland Cavaliers entered their NBA Finals matchup with the Golden State Warriors that season at full strength, they still would’ve fallen short of winning the Larry O’Brien trophy. But injuries to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving robbed fans of the chance to know.

Love became the first casualty during Game 4 of Cleveland’s first-round series against the Boston Celtics. At the 5:22 mark of the first quarter, Love and Kelly Olynyk tussled for rebounding position following a Jae Crowder missed three. Olynyk performed his best Becky Lynch impersonation and locked Love in an armbar, which dislocated Love’s shoulder and sidelined him for the remainder of the playoffs.

Despite losing Love, the Cavaliers moseyed through the remainder of the Eastern Conference bracket to face the Warriors — who evolved from an underachieving bunch under Mark Jackson to a basketball supernova under Steve Kerr.

With LeBron James and Irving leading the way, the Cavaliers hung with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the rest of the Warriors to force overtime in a Game 1 that featured 11 ties and 13 lead changes. However, Cleveland’s title hopes essentially evaporated when Irving crumpled to the floor with 2:22 left in overtime.

Irving left the game in frustration with a knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the series. The Warriors eventually pulled away in that game. Despite James’ best efforts, Golden State took care of the shorthanded Cavaliers to win the NBA Championship game in six games.

We all saw what a healthy Irving and Love could accomplish alongside James against the Warriors in the NBA Finals the next year. But their absence in this series will make some Cleveland fans wonder what could have been.