Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue is apparently prioritizing the top seed in the Eastern Conference over getting rest for his star players.
Before the Cavs played the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Lue said that he intends to play LeBron James and Kyrie Irving until the team clinches the No. 1 seed, per Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal.
#Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said he intends to play LeBron, Kyrie until they clinch East No. 1 seed
— Marla Ridenour (@MRidenourABJ) April 7, 2017
Cleveland enters play on Friday 1.5 games ahead of the Boston Celtics for that top overall seed in the East. A win on Friday and a win on Sunday when they play Atlanta again would clinch it, as the Cavs hold the tiebreaker by virtue of their blowout win over the Celtics on Wednesday. But two of Boston’s final three opponents are under .500, and Cleveland gets the Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors, two teams clawing for playoff seeding, after the Hawks, who are themselves in the middle of the postseason pack. As such, Lue, who has often been willing to rest his players but has gotten bitten by the occasional times that he hasn’t, could be walking a delicate tightrope here.
