WATCH: LeBron hands Kyrie Irving his first two points in injury return
The Cleveland Cavaliers became a little more whole over the weekend, as Kyrie Irving played in his first game since a fractured left kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Irving looked about as you'd expect. He showed flashes of his typical playmaking and scoring, but he also struggled at times, missing a layup here and there and displaying an expected bit of rust.
But it was just good to see Irving on the court, particularly when he scored his first two points in over six months. Fittingly, that bucket came on an assist from LeBron James, who casually flipped the ball to Irving for an easy two:
Now comes the hard part for Irving and the Cavaliers. On the one hand, it's reasonable to expect that getting the All-Star point guard up to speed will take some time. But a Finals rematch with the Golden State Warriors looms on Friday. Irving's a competitive guy, and the lights will be shining bright during the NBA's marquee Christmas Day game. Finding the balance between going at Stephen Curry and not overexerting himself will be paramount for Irving -- especially since one of the keys to defeating the Warriors has been having a point guard who can slow down Curry.
