LeBron James out again Wednesday, but tests on knee negative

It's probably not going to be a very happy New Year's Eve for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James will sit out for the second consecutive game on Wednesday when the Cavaliers take on the Milwaukee Bucks.

James also sat out Tuesday due to soreness in his left knee. James has had soreness flare up at times this season but the issue appeared to worsen on Christmas Day, when he jumped into the crowd to save a loose ball and came up limping afterward, though he was able to appear in two games since then.

Before Wednesday's game, James admitted that the knee has been bothering him all year, but that the jump in Miami aggravated it further. Tests have come back negative, with rest being prescribed until James feels better.

The Cavs could be incredibly shorthanded Wednesday, as Kevin Love and Shawn Marion are both likely to sit and Anderson Varejao is out for the season. A shorthanded Cavs team hung tough on Tuesday, but ultimately lost to the Atlanta Hawks, despite a 35-point effort from Kyrie Irving.

Obviously, James's absence is enormous and the Cavs will miss him a great deal. When names like Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Harris and James Jones are trying to pick up the slack, James's 25.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game will be dearly missed. The Cavs have been 10.7 points per-100 possessions worse when James hits the bench this season and they'll be in tough against a game, young Bucks team Wednesday.