One of the many things Adam Silver has to determine in the wake of Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals is whether Cleveland forward Kevin Love needed to be suspended. Love left the immediate vicinity of the bench during an altercation between Draymond Green and Tristan Thompson at the end of the game, which is usually an automatic suspension. However, Love explained the reason he was on the floor had nothing to do with what went down in the waning moments of Thursday’s game.
Ultimately, the NBA bought Love’s depiction of the events. According to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports, the All-Star forward will not be suspended for Game 2 on Sunday night for the exact reason he explained.
The NBA will not suspend @KevinLove for leaving the bench area in the closing seconds of Game 1, league source tells @YahooSportsNBA.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) June 1, 2018
The league reviewed the play, and it concluded, effectively, this: Love stepped onto the floor initially to contest the Thompson foul call, and retreated to the bench when the altercation broke out.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) June 1, 2018
Mannix’s report was confirmed by Dave McMenamin of ESPN, who also brought word of the league’s ongoing process of reviewing Thompson’s actions at the end of the game.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will not be suspended for Game 2 of the Finals after lingering on the court while he was not checked into the game when a scuffle broke out at the end of Game 1, a league source told ESPN.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 1, 2018
The league is still reviewing Tristan Thompson’s actions at the end of Game 1. If a suspension is enforced on Thompson, it will be announced later on Friday, a league source tells ESPN.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 1, 2018
Losing Thompson would hurt Cleveland, even if Larry Nance Jr. appeared to be the team’s best option at center in Game 1. But still, the much bigger news is that the team reportedly doesn’t have to worry about whether they’ll have Love in the lineup on Sunday. He didn’t have his best game in Game 1, as he went 9-for-20 from the field and 1-for-8 from three, but Love still accrued 21 points and 13 rebounds in 39 minutes of action.
