Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers announced Thursday that forward Kevin Love will return for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.

Head coach Tyronn Lue said Love will start without a minutes restriction, per Mark Medina of the Mercury News.

Love, 29, suffered a concussion in the first quarter of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics and missed the rest of that contest. He was placed in the concussion protocol and also missed Game 7.

This postseason, he's averaging 13.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, though he's shot just 38.8 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three, well below his career averages in both categories.

Nonetheless, the Cavaliers are plus-2.6 with Love on the floor and minus-0.9 without him this postseason, per NBA.com.



And while the Cavaliers managed to win both Games 6 and 7 without him, having Love—the team's second-leading scorer behind LeBron James during the regular season and leading rebounder—back against the Warriors is huge.

Jeff Green came up big in Game 7 against the Celtics, scoring 19 points and adding eight rebounds. But Love has operated as both a small-ball center and power forward this season, and his ability to guard both positions defensively and stretch the floor offensively is key.

If the Cavaliers are to have any chance of pulling off an improbable upset against the Warriors, Love will have to have a huge series. James was able to carry the Cavaliers against Eastern Conference foes, but against the defending champions, he'll need his supporting cast to consistently play at a higher level than they have throughout the season, including Love.