Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving is banged up ahead of Game 5 against the Chicago Bulls, with MRI scans revealing tendinitis and a right foot strain.
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Irving has struggled in the last two games as he has visibly been struggling with an issue with many noticing a limp as he walks around the court.
The Cavs star has also been missing the explosiveness off the dribble and has been a liability at times on defense, and so it was clear that he was suffering from an injury.
Irving finished Game 3 with 12 points on 2-for-10 shooting with four rebounds and two assists, and so clearly he is still able to contribute despite the issues he is facing.
However, following MRI scans on Monday it has been revealed that the 23-year-old has left knee tendinitis and a right foot strain, which would explain his poor shooting numbers and general struggles on the floor.
According to reports, coach David Blatt is not expected to rest him on Tuesday night and he will play through the pain as he looks to help his teammates take a 3-2 series lead over their Eastern Conference rivals.
While he will take to the court, his limited influence may force Blatt to reconsider how he runs offense with Irving on the floor as it would make sense for the point guard to shoot more and have less play-making responsibility.
However, it remains to be seen if a day’s rest can help him recover and become even more effective again, with opposite number Derrick Rose winning the battle thus far as the former MVP put up 31 points in the Game 4 loss which followed on from his heroics the previous outing.
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