INDIANAPOLIS – Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said he “probably” will rest his Big 3 — LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love — when the Cavs finish a four-game road trip Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Could be,” Lue said when pressed on what he meant by “probably” after the Cavs’ 132-117 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. “I’m not sure yet. … It’s a good possibility. Could be. I’m not 100 percent sure right now.”
Lue rested James, Irving and Love on Dec. 14 during the Cavs’ lone trip to Memphis this season. Cleveland lost 93-85 on the second night of a back-to-back that game; the Big 3 didn’t even board the flight and sit on the bench, as Lue allowed them to stay at home.
The coaching decision, despite being normalized by San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich years ago, caused a bit of an uproar at the time mainly because of James’ popularity as the face of the league.
“I do whatever my coach asks me to do,” said James, who was perturbed by the outcry. “My coach wants me to rest, I don’t buck my coach. That’s what he wants and that’s what we’re going to do. I’ve been in this league 14 years. I shouldn’t have to explain me sitting out a game or not playing games. I’ve played in every arena, including Seattle, that’s no longer here. It’s not like it’s my first year. I’ve got 14 years. I’ve paid my dues — and more than a lot of guys in this league. But I’ll ride with my coach.”
Lue added to the controversy afterward when, looking back at it being Cleveland’s lone loss over a 10-game stretch, he joked that the Memphis game was a “forfeit, I guess you want to call it.”
James, following a 25-point, nine-assist, six-rebound effort in 38 minutes against the Pacers, seemed at peace with whatever direction Lue goes in.
“We know what we got,” James said when asked if he was concerned that the Cavs’ momentum – they’re winners of six of seven – could be affected. “We know what we’re doing. If Coach Lue decides to sit us, that’s fine. Guys are going to go out, give everything they got with the coaching staff giving them a game plan, obviously. But we’ll be ready to go the next game if he decides to sit us.”
Thursday’s game, nationally televised on TNT, will be the Cavs’ third in four nights and comes in the middle of a stretch of four games in six days as Cleveland faces a packed schedule leading up to the All-Star break.
“We’ll see how the guys feel,” Lue said. “When we’re playing good like this, guys might want to play, so we’ll see how they feel.”
If Lue rests all three of his stars, the Cavs will have just eight healthy players available for the Thunder game because of the injuries to J.R. Smith (right thumb), Iman Shumpert (left ankle) and Chris Andersen (torn ACL).
“Next man up,” said Love. “We’re definitely capable. Those guys, when we have been able to get up and down in practice and compete, those guys fight us every single day in practice we’re out there. So we just have to keep playing, keep moving that ball, and it’s a nationally televised game. We got to get up for that.”
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