Thompson will miss ‘multiple games’

Things are going from not-sogood to yikes!-now-what? for the Cavaliers.

Center Tristan Thompson will miss “multiple games” with a sprained right ankle, the Cavaliers reported around 6:30 p.m. on March 4. The Cavs, 36-26, are already without center/forward Kevin Love, who is expected to miss another three to four weeks with a broken bone attached to the little finger of his left hand.

The injury to Thompson means Larry Nance Jr., could move in as the starting center, a move that could mean Ante Zizic will back up Nance.

Thompson was injured in the first half of the game with Denver on March 3 when he stepped on the heel of a Nuggets player. He continued to play, but experienced swelling of his right ankle overnight. Examination at Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence on March 4 confirmed the diagnosis of a sprain, the Cavaliers reported.

Thompson will undergo treatment and rehab while the Cavs embark on a six-game trip that begins in Denver on March 7.

“His return to play timing will be established in relation to his continued evaluation and daily recovery progress,” the news release said.

The Cavs’ first game without Thompson will be March 5 with the Detroit Pistons in Quicken Loans Arena. It will be the final contest in what has been a brutal homestand for the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers won three straight games, all on the road, after shaking up the roster at the trading deadline. Since then they are 2-4 and 1-4 at home. They are 13-18 since a downhill slide began on Dec. 19.

Thompson missed 19 straight games earlier this season with a calf injury. He has appeared in 42 games with 21 starts and is averaging 6.5 rebounds and 6.3 points a game. His production is down from a year ago when he averaged 9.2 rebounds and 8.1 points in 78 games, all of them starts. Thompson was an iron man earlier in his career. He played all 82 regular season games each year from 2012-13 through the 2015-16 seasons