Age is just a number when you can shoot the ball like Kyle Korver, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ veteran sharpshooter who has had to step into a starting role recently for Tyronn Lue’s struggling crew. But Korver’s absence will likely be felt tonight when the Cavaliers visit Chicago (8 ET, League Pass), one of Korver’s former teams, on his 37th birthday.
Korver will miss the game while dealing with a “family matter,” according to Joe Vardon of the Plain Dealer. The Cavaliers are already working with a limited group due to injuries. And the pressure is mounting as the regular season winds down. The Cavaliers are in a strange place, given the spate of injuries and other issues they’re dealing with, forcing Lue to mix and match as he has on a nightly basis all season:
Not only does it mean the Cavs will miss Korver on his 37th birthday — Korver left the team Friday to deal with a family issue — but they will be severely shorthanded. Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr., Tristan Thompson, Cedi Osman, and Kevin Love are all out with injuries.
The Cavs have canceled shootaround for Saturday morning, so there is no telling who coach Tyronn Lue will start until everyone gathers at United Center around 5 p.m. local time.
Korver has been brilliant in his last three games, averaging more than 17 points and shooting better than 65 percent from the field. He replaced JR Smith in the starting lineup. Lue may have little choice but to go back to Smith against the Bulls.
LeBron James and George Hill figure to start, and probably Jeff Green and Ante Zizic too. Assuming Smith starts, that would leave Jordan Clarkson, Jose Calderon, John Holland and London Perrantes for the bench.
