The Cleveland Cavaliers are on a two-game losing streak and have a tough test on Wednesday in the Indiana Pacers, but they now have a solid chance to get back in the win column (while furthering Indiana's woes with a five-game losing streak). It looks as though Kyrie Irving will be back in action when the Pacers come to town as part of Cleveland's franchise-record nine-game homestand.
With a full participation in practice on Tuesday, Irving was cleared to play as per the NBA's new guidelines on concussions. Like most sports, the NBA has been cracking down on head injuries (which, without context, sounds counter-productive) and now players have to go through multiple steps before they're able to play again. Part of those steps is a league physician being consulted before giving the thumbs up.
Dwyane Wade was the cause of the concussion, when Irving banged his head on Wade's knee in a game on Feb. 7, a 107-91 loss to the Miami Heat. The Cavaliers went on to win their next outing, a 99-92 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, but have since dropped two-straight to Milwaukee and Philadelphia.
Under the old guidelines, Irving would have been cleared to play prior to Tuesday's practice, as he's said that he hasn't had symptoms for a few days now, but a full practice is now required. He leads all rookies in scoring with 18 points per game and has been a big reason for Cleveland's near-relevance as a fringe .500 team.
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