Boston forward Kelly Olynyk didn’t intentionally try to hurt Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love during Sunday’s playoff game when their arms became entangled, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Thursday.

Ainge defended Olynyk and argued that a one-game suspension handed to Olynyk after the incident was unfair. Love suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery on Wednesday and will sideline him for four to six months.

The Cavs eliminated the Celtics from the first round of the playoffs in four games, leaving Olynyk to likely serve the suspension during the opening game of the 2015-16 season.

“I don’t even think that that play would have been reviewed more than a foul had Kevin not gotten hurt,” Ainge said. “But because Kevin did get hurt, the league does evaluate those situations, and I understand a little bit why they did it.

“There was a lot of pressure on Cleveland. They were losing J.R. Smith in the first couple of games of the next round, and they have Kevin out for the playoffs now. So I’m sure there was a lot of frustration in Cleveland and they wanted some justice, and they scrutinized it and felt like Kelly gave a little bit too much at the very end of that arm tangling.

“When someone gets hurt, you’re just under a little bit more scrutiny. But I thought it was just a foul -- two guys going for a loose ball.”

Olynyk also said earlier that there was on malicious intent on his part. But Love begged to differ after the game, calling the move “bush league.”

“I think that that’s a little bit over the top,” Ainge said. “It’s understandable in the heat of the battle. I feel bad for Kevin Love because he’s waited a long time to get where their team is right now, and now he doesn’t get a chance to play. But I certainly don’t think that Kelly did it on purpose.”

The Cavaliers will face the winner of the Chicago Bulls-Milwaukee Bucks series in the next round without Love.