Kyrie Irving says he will play in Game 1
He may be playing on two bum legs, but there's no way Kyrie Irving will be kept on his butt for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks.
Irving told reporters he will definitely play Wednesday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers point guard missed practice Saturday due to the strained right foot and left knee tendinitis he has been dealing with for most of the playoffs, but hit the floor Monday.
"I feel pretty good going into Wednesday's game," Irving told reporters. "Being able to feel both my feet underneath me, especially when I'm shooting, feels amazing."
David Blatt said he's "encouraged" by what Kyrie Irving was able to do in practice today
— Jason Lloyd (@JasonLloydABJ) May 18, 2015
Irving was limited to 12 minutes in Cleveland's Game 6 clincher over the Chicago Bulls, and he looked particularly off in Games 3 and 4 of that series. With the Wednesday tipoff in Atlanta, Irving and the Cavs will have had six days to rest.