Kevin Love leaves game with back spasms, won't return

As if the absences of LeBron James, Anderson Varejao and Shawn Marion weren't enough.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have also lost Kevin Love on Tuesday, as he appeared to injure his right leg in the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks. Love checked out of the game and headed directly to the locker room with a noticeable limp.

Shortly after, the team announced that Love was actually suffering from back spasms and wouldn't return.

Before checking out of the game, Love had seven points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes but had shot just 1-of-8 from the floor. That continues Love's season of struggles in his new home, as he's averaging a disappointing 17.1 points on 43.4 percent shooting with a 33.8 percent mark from long range.

The team has actually looked better without Love on Tuesday, which is surprising given James' absence. Considering it's names like Lou Amundson and Joe Harris stepping up to fill those minutes, it's a bit of an indictment on how Love was playing.

Still, the Cavaliers would obviously prefer Love's back issue to be of the minor variety. Love has some ink on his injury history, including a game missed due to back spasms in April, so this is of some concern. The team can ill afford to lose another key piece, especially in the frontcourt, and Love's performance can be expected to move closer to his established career levels, eventually.