CLEVELAND -- Kyrie Irving has been knocked out by an injury

[blueberryjerry]

CLEVELAND -- Kyrie Irving has been knocked out by an injury again, and its really painful for the Cavaliers. . Irving will miss at least two weeks with a strained tendon in his left biceps, a major blow to Clevelands chances of making the NBA playoffs with only a month left in the regular season. Irving got hurt during the first half of Sunday nights loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. The All-Star point guard did not return after missing all five shots and leaving the game for medical evaluation and treatment. He flew back with the Cavaliers and Monday underwent an MRI, which revealed "a strain in the long head tendon" of his biceps, the Cavs said in a release. The 21-year-old will be shut down for two weeks and re-evaluated. The Cavs said the tendons response "will determine the most appropriate course of treatment." Irvings injury couldnt come at a worse time for the Cavs. Hell miss at least eight of the final 15 games, and without their leading scorer and best player, it will be tough for the Cavs (26-41) to clinch the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland begins the week 4 1-2 games behind Atlanta, and the Cavs have a difficult schedule ahead with Miami, Oklahoma City and Houston in town over the next five days. And, equally troubling, is that Irving is again missing significant time due to an injury. He sat out 38 games his first two seasons with a variety of injuries, including a broken nose, fractured jaw, broken finger, sprained shoulder and concussion. One of Irvings goals was to play in all 82 games this season, but hes already missed three with a bruised knee and is expected to sit for eight more. Irving has scoffed at the notion that he is injury prone, but he hasnt made it through a full season and he was also sidelined during the summer after his rookie season when he broke his hand slamming it into a padded wall during a practice in Las Vegas. Irvings injury issues predated him turning pro as he played in just 11 games as a freshman at Duke because of a foot injury. Most of Irvings injuries have been unavoidable and bad luck because he plays hard and is unafraid to drive to the basket and draw contact from bigger, stronger players. Its not clear exactly when Irving was hurt on Sunday night. As the Cavs move forward theyll have to factor Irvings spotty medical history into their decision as to whether or not to offer him a maximum-year contract extension this summer. Cleveland hasnt made the playoffs since 2010, and this was supposed be the year the Cavs returned to the post-season and stayed out of the draft lottery. However, the club has underachieved in coach Mike Browns second stint and owner Dan Gilbert fired general manager Chris Grant last month. Now without Irving, the Cavs climb has gotten even steeper. . -- Athletics manager Bob Melvin is already starting to run out of superlatives to describe Scott Kazmir. . Louis Cardinals a hard-fought victory. The Colorado Rockies intentionally walked Yadier Molina with one out and runners on first and third to load the bases for Kozma. . City, fielding a depleted team having already qualified, was twice pegged back by the plucky Czech champions but substitute Negredo tapped home in the 78th minute and Dzekos header made sure of victory in the 89th. The result kept City three points behind Bayern Munich ahead of their meeting in Germany in two weeks.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Howie Kendrick had a two-run single in his first game batting leadoff this season, Chris Iannetta hit a pair of RBI singles and the Los Angeles Angels beat Cleveland 6-4 Tuesday night, sending the Indians to their fifth straight defeat. Cleveland also lost All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis to an abdominal strain in the fourth inning. Jered Weaver (2-2) allowed two runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings, striking out six and walking one. The Angels ace threw 90 pitches and was lifted after giving up four consecutive hits, including a two-run homer by Carlos Santana. Joe Smith, the seventh Angels pitcher, tossed a perfect ninth for his second save in two nights against his former teammates after he was thrust into the closers role last Friday in place of an ineffective Ernesto Frieri. Corey Kluber (2-3) gave up four runs -- three earned -- and four hits over 4 2-3 innings with five strikeouts and four walks. The right-hander escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth, retiring Albert Pujols on a popup after an intentional walk to Mike Trout and then striking out Raul Ibanez with the Indians trailing 2-0. The Angels put runners at the corners in the fifth with the help of a successful replay challenge by manager Mike Scioscia, after first base umpire Gabe Morales ruled J.B. Shuck out on a potential double-play grounder to second base that was corrected to a fielders choice. Shuck stole second, and Kendrick chased Kluber with a two-run single to centre for a 4-0 lead after a walk to Collin Cowgill. That was the only official at-bat for the Angels second baseman, who got plunked by Klubers second pitch of the game, had a sacrifice bunt in the fourth and walked in the seventh. Kendrick became the fifth player Scioscia has started in the leadoff spot. It was the 12th time Kendrick has started there iin his nine-year career, the rest coming in 2010. . . He is 13 for 47 with two homers, 10 RBIs, four walks and eight runs scored when starting atop the lineup, and the Angels are 9-3 in those games. Santana, who hit a three-run homer in Monday nights series-opening 6-3 loss, got the Indians off the mat in the sixth with his two-run shot to right field after a single by Mike Aviles. Michael Brantley then snapped an 0-for-17 drought with a double and went to third on a single by Asdrubal Cabrera that chased Weaver. But Michael Kohn struck out Yan Gomes with the bases loaded after a two-out walk to David Murphy and a visit from pitching coach Mike Butcher. Yoslan Herrera gave way to Nick Maronde with the bases loaded and none out in the Cleveland seventh, and Santana drew a four-pitch walk that forced home a run. Brantley followed with a sacrifice fly that cut the Angels lead to 5-4 and brought in Kevin Jepsen, who struck out Cabrera and retired Jason Giambi on a deep fly. Aviles took over at second base in the fourth for Kipnis, who left with an abdominal strain on his right side after grounding into a double play. NOTES: Ibanez was the only player on the Angels roster that Kluber had faced before. ... Shuck ended a career-worst 0-for-22 drought with a hit-and-run single in the fourth. ... Weaver has pitched 873 innings and faced 3,492 batters since his last intentional walk on Sept. 4, 2009, at Kansas City. ... Cabrera and Santana had two-out bunt singles in the second and fourth, respectively. ... The Indians demoted Wednesdays scheduled starter, RHP Carlos Carrasco, to the bullpen with an 0-3 record and a 6.95 ERA in four outings. RHP Zach McAllister will start on three days rest for the first time in his career after throwing 75 pitches over five innings Saturday in a loss at San Francisco. ' ' '

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