(Reuters) – The Cleveland Cavaliers’ title hopes were dealt a severe blow yesterday when their All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving was ruled out for the rest of the NBA Finals with a fractured knee.
Irving, 23, was on crutches when he left the team’s hotel to be evaluated earlier in the day and a subsequent MRI revealed a fracture in his left knee cap.
“He will have surgery to repair the knee in the coming days at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland by Cavaliers head team physician Dr. Richard Parker,” the Cavaliers said in a statement.
“His recovery time is projected to be three to four months and his status will be updated as appropriate.”
Irving, who has been bothered with tendinitis for the past six weeks, re-injured his left knee with two minutes remaining in Cleveland’s overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game One of the best-of-seven NBA Finals on Thursday.
Irving limped off the court on Thursday after an awkward fall and was clearly favoring his knee. He threw his Cavaliers jersey to the ground in frustration and was later sitting at his locker with a towel over his head and ice on his knee.
