PF Kevin Love didn't start Friday, his first game off the bench since April 14, 2010 -- the final game of his second season in the NBA.Love replaced Tristan Thompson seven minutes into the game and made his first shot off an offensive rebound -- a theme throughout the first half. The Cavs grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in the first half and turned them into 17 second-chance points.Love had 11 points and five rebounds off the bench, J.R. Smith scored 10 points and Tristan Thompson finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

SG J.R. Smith shot 2 of 8 from the 3-point line and is now 9 of 25 from deep in the Finals.

Stephen Curry made seven 3-pointers and scored 38 points after he failed to reach 20 in any of the first three games of this series.

Kevin Love participated in shootaround with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday morning but remains a game-time decision for Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena.Love, who is averaging over 16 points and 9 rebounds per game in the playoffs, is in concussion protocol and will not have a say in whether he's back on the court Friday in the best-of-seven series. The Cavaliers won Game 3 on Wednesday with Love on the sideline.Richard Jefferson started Wednesday and gave the team a spark. Coach Tyronn Lue said Jefferson's impact was measured well beyond the stat sheet. If Love is cleared - he lobbied hard to play in Game 3, per Lue - he is expected to come off the bench.

Kevin Love was back on the practice floor Thursday as the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare for Game 4 of the NBA Finals.Love is under the NBA concussion protocol and was cleared for non-contract basketball activities. How he responds to the workout will be a crucial factor in whether or not he is cleared to play on Friday against the Golden State Warriors.Love was injured in Game 2 when he received an elbow in the back of his head from Warriors forward Harrison Barnes. He sat out Wednesday's Game 3 and the Cavaliers sailed without him and rolled to a 120-90 victory to cut Golden State's lead to 2-1.Forward Richard Jefferson started in Love's place and is one again being prepared to be part of the starting unit.

F LeBron James scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, leading the Cavaliers to a resounding 120-90 victory against the Warriors on Wednesday in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.James, playing power forward with Kevin Love sidelined, all but guaranteed a victory after calling Wednesday a "must-win" game and a "do-or-die" situation as no NBA team has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit. Then he went out and played like it. James bear-crawled across the court chasing after a loose ball, then soared high for a lob dunk when his head was even with the backboard. He even swatted away a Curry shot during a dead ball in the second half to deliver a subtle message to the Warriors.

G/F Vince Carter was selected by NBA players as the recipient of the 2015-16 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, the league announced. The award recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to his team.Carter averaged 6.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 60 games (three starts) for the Grizzlies this season.

PF Kevin Love, who sustained a concussion in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, sat out Game 3 on Wednesday. He is day-to-day.

G Stephen Curry shot 3-of-9 from 3-point range and finished with 19 points Wednesday in the Warriors' Game 3 loss at Cleveland. He has yet to score 20 points in a game in this series, the first time in his playoff career he has gone three consecutive games without reaching 20.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Vince Carter has been selected by NBA players as the recipient of the 2015-16 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, the league announced Wednesday.The award recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to his team.More than 300 NBA players submitted their votes through balloting conducted by the league office. The 12 nominees were chosen by a panel of NBA legends as well as executives from the league and the National Basketball Players Association.The 39-year-old Carter totaled 1,448 points from the players, including 65 first-place votes. Minnesota Timberwolves center Kevin Garnett finished second with 916 points (39 first-place votes), and the Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh placed third with 799 points (18 first-place votes).Carter, an eight-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Team selection, has spent the last two seasons of his 18-year career... [More]

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without forward Kevin Love for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.The Cavaliers announced Wednesday afternoon that Love is listed as out for the game against the Golden State Warriors as the Finals move to Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland returns home after dropping the first two games at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif."Love will remain in the NBA concussion protocol under the direct supervision and oversight of team physician Dr. Alfred Cianflocco, Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher of the NBA and Cavs head athletic trainer Steve Spiro," the Cavs said in a statement. "His status for Game 4 will be updated at the appropriate time."Love took an elbow from Warriors guard Harrison Barnes to the head late in the second quarter of Game 2 on Sunday night. He stayed in the game before entering the NBA's concussion protocol early in the third quarter. On Tuesday, the Cavs listed him as questionable for Game 3.At Wednesday morning's shootaround, Love was a limited participant.... [More]

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James is undecided about playing in the 2016 Olympics and said he will make a decision shortly after the NBA Finals conclude.James has sidestepped several opportunities in recent weeks to clarify his feelings about participating in Rio de Janeiro.He was asked about it again on Tuesday, one day after Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry announced that he will skip the Olympics."I'm just now hearing about Steph pulling out," James told reporters. "But my decision has never been on anyone either playing on the team or being invited or not playing. I haven't made a decision yet and I probably will make it right after the season is over."The Cavaliers trail the Warriors 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Wednesday in Cleveland.Speculation pins James as being tired from six straight NBA Finals appearances and playing more than 100 NBA games per season. He also is reportedly concerned about the Zika virus with it wreaking havoc in the South American... [More]

Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry will not play in the 2016 Rio Olympics to let his right knee heal.Curry told USA Basketball that he will skip the Olympics this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil."After a great deal of internal thought and several discussions with my family, the Warriors and my representatives, I've elected to withdraw my name from the list of eligible players on Team USA's preliminary roster for the 2016 Summer Games in Brazil," Curry said in a statement Monday. "I recently informed (USA Basketball managing director) Jerry Colangelo of this decision."My previous experiences with USA Basketball have been incredibly rewarding, educational and enjoyable, which made this an extremely difficult decision for me and my family. However, due to several factors -- including recent ankle and knee injuries -- I believe this is the best decision for me at this stage of my career."It's an incredible honor to represent your country and wear 'USA' on your chest, but my primary... [More]

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love experienced dizziness after returning to play at the start of the second half of Sunday's NBA Finals Game 2 against the Golden State Warriors.He left the game for good with 9:54 left in the third quarter after the effects of a collision with Warriors forward Harrison Barnes late in the second quarter surfaced.He was taken to the locker room for further examination and was placed in the NBA concussion protocol and did not return to the eventual 110-77 Warriors' win.Love did not exhibit any signs or symptoms prior to the third quarter, according to a team statement. Love is questionable for Game 3 on Wednesday in Cleveland.

G John Wall, who underwent surgery on both knees recently, although the left was worse, said he might not be ready for the start of training camp. However, Wall said he expects to be injury-free for the first time in three years."It's something I feel like I had to do," Wall said in an interview with the Vertical. "It was painful. You watch a lot in games, I jumped off my right leg, or I jumped off two feet. I never jumped off my left leg. That's the reason I rarely went right, because I had to jump off two feet, because this leg, I couldn't get off of it."

F LeBron James had team-highs with 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers in a Game 2 loss to the Warriors. However, James also committed a game-high seven turnovers, a stat he noted when shouldering much of the blame for the defeat. "I got myself in a lot of trouble tonight," he said.

C Andrew Bogut had a game-high five blocks to go with six rebounds in 15 minutes, helping Golden State record a dominant 46-34 advantage on the boards in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

F Kevin Love (possible concussion) left in the third quarter Sunday, and he is day-to-day ahead of Game 3 of the Finals on Wednesday.Love's injury occurred late in the second period when he got hit in the back of the head by Barnes while reaching for a rebound. After spending almost two minutes on the floor, Love convinced the Cavaliers' staff he was OK to continue. He started the second half but experienced dizziness early in the third quarter and pulled himself from the game at the 9:54 mark. He finished with five points and three rebounds, shooting just 2-for-7.

G Stephen Curry and G Klay Thompson rebounded from low-scoring efforts in Game 1 by producing 18 and 17 points, respectively, for Golden State. Curry, who battled foul trouble, finished 7-for-11 from the floor and sank four of eight 3-point attempts.Curry isn't quite sure he'll end up in Rio de Janeiro playing for the U.S. team at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Guard John Wall of the Washington Wizards, who underwent surgery on both knees recently although the left was worse, said he might not be ready for the start of training camp.However, Wall said he expects to be injury-free for the first time in three years."It's something I feel like I had to do," Wall said in an interview with the Vertical. "It was painful. You watch a lot in games, I jumped off my right leg, or I jumped off two feet. I never jumped off my left leg. That's the reason I rarely went right, because I had to jump off two feet, because this leg, I couldn't get off of it. " ... Dr. (Richard) Parker told me, 'I don't know how the hell you were able to do it.' Dr. [James] Andrews told me the same thing: 'You're basically playing on one leg, to be honest with you.'" ... I've just shown glimpses of what I can be."Wall had loose particles removed from his right knee and calcium deposits from his left patella tendon. The left knee surgery will require several months of recovery.Despite being in pain, Wall averaged 18.9 points and 9.7 assists per game the last three seasons.