Kevin Love: Cavaliers frustrations spilling over for Cleveland star
Sunday 5 January 2020 14:03, UK
Frustration is clearly building with Kevin Love and his situation in Cleveland.
The five-time All-Star let rip on-court after a passage of play where he wasn't passed the ball on Saturday night.
Earlier in the day, Love yelled at Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman over a recent fine, according to a report by The Athletic.
Citing anonymous sources, The Athletic said the incident took place following the team's shootaround and Love was screaming in front of teammates, coaches and front office staff.
Whispers earlier in the year suggested that Love, who won a title with the Cavs in 2016, was not happy being part of a losing team and the combination of these reports of arguments behind the scenes coupled with his on-court outburst against the Thunder, would seem to lend those credence.
Love became annoyed late in the second quarter when Collin Sexton didn't throw him the ball as he was getting position in the lane. The veteran forward threw his arms in the air and slowly walked toward Sexton at the top of the key.
After receiving the ball, Love threw a low, hard pass to Cedi Osman, who bobbled the ball before shooting a three-pointer.
"We were making a play call," Love said. "We were in the bonus and Chris Paul was on me, so I felt swing it to me and try to throw it in the post, see if they double team and get a good shot out of that. That's not what we did, and yeah, I was frustrated."
Cavaliers coach John Beilein took blame for the play call as the clock was winding down, but doesn't want his players to show frustration on the court.
"If I do it, if anyone does it, it really doesn't make you a better player or a better coach at that time," Beilein said. "It's like carrying a suitcase around with you, that you have extra baggage. We don't need to do that. ... So as it's pointed out to me or I see it, we try to address it the best we can."
The report in The Athletic said Love was fined for $1,000 for his outburst on the bench during Tuesday's game in Toronto, where he pounded a chair in frustration as he came off the court during a timeout.
Love's name has come up in trade talks as the rebuilding Cavaliers are looking to the future. He's in the second season of a four-year, $120m contract extension.
