Cleveland forward Kevin Love has completed the NBA’s concussion protocols and is in the starting lineup for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against Golden State on Thursday night.
Love was injured early in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against Boston and was not able to play in Game 7 of that series. He traveled to California with the Cavaliers and was on the floor with them during practice Wednesday at Oracle Arena.
”His approach has been great the last couple of days
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While the Cavaliers will be at full strength, Golden State forward Andre Iguodala is out because of a bone bruise in his left knee that sidelined him for the last four games of the Western Conference finals.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he was pleased to see Love cleared for Game 1.
”It didn’t surprise me,” Kerr said. ”I’m glad he’s playing. We want everybody playing, everybody healthy and out there competing.”
There haven’t been any championship banners hoisted into Boston’s hallowed rafters since 2008.
LeBron James won’t let go of the rope.
Cleveland’s star has bounced the Celtics from the playoffs four times in the past seven years, and James carries a six-game postseason winning streak at Boston into this year’s Eastern Conference finals, which open Sunday at TD Garden.
As a member of both the Miami Heat and Cavaliers, James – whose success against Boston did a 180-degree turn with a mesmerizing Game 6 performance in 2012 – has made the Celtics green(er) with envy.
But while the 33-year-old has the utmost respect for the NBA’s most decorated franchise
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And if he beats the Celtics again and advances to his eighth straight NBA Finals, James would join a club currently exclusive to Boston players with legendary status.
Only Bill Russell (10), Sam Jones (9), Tommy Heinsohn (9) and Frank Ramsey (8) have played in more consecutive Finals than James, who said he hasn’t reflected on the possibility of admission to their group.
”I do know that this is my eighth straight conference finals and I have an opportunity to play for a championship if I’m able to be successful in this conference finals, so I don’t take that for granted,” James said Friday. ”You dream about being able to play in big games in the NBA. Even when I got to the NBA that was one of my only goals – to be as great as I can be
Saquon Barkley Jersey Giants , to play in big games in the NBA and be remembered – and I think I’ve done that in my career.
”Just trying to add onto it while I can.”
Early in his career, James saw the Celtics as a postseason exit ramp.
The ”Big 3” Boston team featuring Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen ousted him and the Cavs in 2008 and 2010, the latter series ending with James famously storming off the floor and pulling off his jersey to foreshadow his free-agent departure later that summer for South Beach.
He avenged that loss the following year in the conference semifinals, and then in 2012, James had one of his most magnificent postseason exhibitions of his career in Boston. With the Heat down 3-2 in the series, James scored 45 points on 19 of 26 shooting and added 15 rebounds as Miami forced a Game 7 and went on to win consecutive titles.
Since then
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James has scored 979 points in 34 playoff games against the Celtics, the most by one player against a single team. And in his past six games on Boston’s parquet, he’s averaging 34.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
James has eight playoff wins in Boston, more than all but four current Celtics.
One of them, Jaylen Brown, knows what’s coming.
”Physically
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Boston’s notorious crowd is known for rattling opposing players. In the first round, Celtics fans taunted Milwaukee guard Eric Bledsoe with chants of ”Who Is Bledsoe?” after he unwisely made a comment about Celtics playoff phenom Terry Rozier.
James and his teammates know they’ll have their ears rung as well.
”One of the rowdy environments,” Cavaliers forward Kyle Korver said. ”Boston is fun. They have a great crowd. They’re ready to get behind their team. There’s been moments where I’ve been on a team where there’s a decent lead and then they make one shot and the place just erupts. You’re like, `Man, they’re going to come back.’ You just feel it. It’s a great place to play
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Boston’s roar only seems to strengthen James, who appreciates the passion and pride in the Celtics.
”Just the history, you look up in the rafters and you see all the greats that has either played there or the previous arena they played in,” he said. ”It’s a sports town. You look at the Patriots. You look at the Bruins. You look at the Red Sox. You add them, look at all that history. It’s just a sports town. If you’re not green, they don’t mess with you.”
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AP Sports Writer Kyle Hightower in Boston contributed to this report.
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