CLEVELAND -- All season, Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said he would prioritize health over postseason seeding when it comes to managing his team. As the Cavs enter the last week before the playoffs begin, he's trying to achieve both.
Lue said he intends to play both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving until Cleveland clinches the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
After Friday night's 114-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland holds a one-game lead over the Boston Celtics for the East's top spot with three games left to play, giving the Cavs a magic number of two to clinch.
While Lue wants to get Irving and James some rest once the seeding is determined, he plans to use the remainder of the regular season as a tune-up for JR Smith, Kevin Love and Kyle Korver -- all of whom missed significant chunks of time in the second half of the season because of injury.
"If we can take care of business like we're supposed to, I think that we'd like LeBron and Kyrie to get some rest," Lue said. "I think JR and Korver and Kevin and those guys should play a little bit because they've been out for so long and just try to keep JR's rhythm and establish Kevin's rhythm and the same thing with Kyle. So the most important guys right now are Kyrie and LeBron, just trying to get those guys some rest if we can."
That could mean James might sit out Wednesday's finale at home against the Toronto Raptors.
Last season, James sat out two of the Cavs' final four games before the playoffs. The season before that, it was two out of the Cavs' final three games.
Lue added that he would like to see injured center Tristan Thompson, out for the second consecutive game Friday night because of a sprained right thumb, on the court again before the playoffs begin. Thompson was to be re-evaluated following the Atlanta game to determine when he will be available to return.
"Depends on how he feels," Lue said. "If he feels good, I think he should get a game or two just to get some kind of feel. Missing the last five games would be tough trying to get him back out there, but we'll see."
