Cavs' Kyrie Irving 'pretty optimistic' about foot injury

Sacha Pisani

Cavs' Kyrie Irving 'pretty optimistic' about foot injury image

Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving downplayed the severity of a right foot injury that hampered his input during Game 3 against the Bulls and refused to make excuses for Friday's 99-96 defeat.

Irving was well below his best, shooting 3 of 13 from the field for just 11 points as the Cavaliers fell behind 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

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The 23-year-old clearly struggled with the injury, which he first sustained against the Celtics almost two weeks ago, but he is looking ahead to Sunday's showdown on the road.

"I'm pretty optimistic," Irving said Saturday, via ESPN. "It is what it is at this point. Probably eight out of 10 players on the floor in any playoff game have some (nicks) or are injured in some way. It's just that time of the season, something I've never experienced.

"For me it's more of a prideful thing, and as a competitor, just go out there and give my team whatever is needed and whatever I can give."

Irving is in the playoffs for the first time in his career, and he's doing his best to play through the pain for the already shorthanded Cavaliers.

"I kept it to myself, kept it within the team," he added. "I understand what coach Blatt was doing in terms of protecting me.

"You guys were asking if I was struggling and he protected me, which I appreciate. But I kept it to myself, just wanted to play through it. Obviously hadn't bothered me since game two, but there's no excuses for myself, as I said last night. Just going to continue to get treatment on it, continue to get ready and prepare for these playoff games."

Cavs star LeBron James leapt to the defense of his teammate, who is averaging 22.1 points and 3.7 assists in the postseason.

"He's handled it well. I mean, the numbers speak for themselves," James said, per ESPN. "He's been playing with a sore foot since the second game of the first round, and no one would ever notice until he was limping yesterday. It's mind over matter for him.

"Obviously it's a tough situation for himself playing with such an injury, but he's going to give us everything he has."

Sacha Pisani