CLEVELAND -- When the Cleveland Cavaliers host the first-place Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, they'll do so without a full complement of players.
According to acting head coach Larry Drew, both center Tristan Thompson (ankle) and guard/forward Rodney Hood (back) will miss the Cavs' highly anticipated matchup with Toronto. Both players had been listed as "questionable" as of shootaround on Wednesday morning.
In addition to Thompson and Hood, Cleveland will also be without guard Kyle Korver, forward/center Larry Nance Jr. and swingman Cedi Osman against the Raptors on Wednesday. Korver has been excused from the team due to the death of his brother, while Osman has not played since March 9 due to a hip flexor injury.
Nance Jr. will be missing his fourth consecutive game due to a hamstring injury, although Drew said he anticipates the former Los Angeles Lakers big man will return to the Cavs lineup later this week. Cleveland hosts the Phoenix Suns on Friday before facing the Brooklyn Nets on the road on Sunday.
Health -- both for the players and the coaches -- is most important for our team," LeBron James said earlier this week. "Everything else will take care of itself. Just put us to work these last few weeks of the regular season and see what happens."
With Thompson, Hood, Korver and Nance Jr. out, the Cavs will start James, Kevin Love, George Hill, Jose Calderon and Jeff Green against the Raptors, who lay claim to an Eastern Conference-best 53-18 record this season. Keep it locked on WKYC.com's live blog for updates and highlights throughout the night and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #3Cavs.
