Kevin Love, Kelly Olynyk

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love has no hard feelings toward Boston's Kelly Olynyk after play that ended Love's season.

(Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer)

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- It's been a little more than a month since Kevin Love's season came to a frustrating end at the hands of Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk. After some sleepless nights -- caused from wearing an uncomfortable sling following surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder -- and an opportunity to reflect on the play, Love has no hard feelings.

"About a week went by, I reached out to Kelly, sent him a text and said, 'It's all good,'" Love admitted Sunday afternoon while talking to the media for the first time since that afternoon in Boston. "It was a tough play and just move on from there."

The injury happened in the first quarter of Cleveland's 101-93 win over the Celtics in Game 4 of the first-round playoff matchup. Love and Olynyk were fighting for position underneath the basket and as the two players were chasing after the loose ball, they remained tangled. Olynyk gripped Love's left arm and Love raced off the court in agony.

When approached immediately after the game, Love didn't hold back with his comments. The three-time All-Star referred to the play as "bush league." He even accused Olynyk of doing it on purpose.

Love had a different tone on Sunday.

"I initially was very emotional about the play because everybody thinks, 'He will be able to come back and pop it back in.' But at the time it happened I kind of knew (the injury was more serious)."

A few days later, the Cavs announced Love needed surgery, ending his season prematurely and casting a cloud of doubt over the Cavaliers' title chances and his Cleveland future.

Olynyk told the Boston Globe last month that his efforts to reach out to Love had been unsuccessful, which Love acknowledged in an interview with our Chris Haynes.

It took a while for Love's pain to vanish. It wasn't even the discomfort he felt as a result of a dislocated left shoulder, either. The sting stemmed from not being able to continue the playoff journey, the sole reason he planned his Minnesota exit strategy this summer.

"I really wanted this," Love said. "I wanted to be a part of this run and then the fourth game of the first series got hurt on a tough play so it's something that I look at as an opportunity. All injuries are and I will continue to work, try to get healthy over this summer and come back and ready to play Game 1. I'm super happy for these guys, proud of these guys and there are times I have felt down because of my shoulder and they have been there to pick me back up. That's how it's been the whole year."

With the initial anger in the past, Love is looking forward. He's been cleared to travel with the team for the NBA Finals and will continue to offer encouragement from the sidelines.

On Sunday, when asked if he and Olynyk were on good terms, he only needed one word: "yes."