The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a fight to secure the highest possible playoff seed, but head coach Tyronn Lue has a more important battle to deal with right now.
Lue announced Monday that he will take a leave of absence due to health issues.
“I have had chest pains and other troubling symptoms, compounded by a loss of sleep, throughout the year. Despite a battery of tests, there have been no conclusions as to what the exact issue is.”
In his place, associate head coach Larry Drew will take over the team.
Lue missed one game earlier in the season due to an illness, and he did not coach Cleveland during the second half of the team’s victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.
The Cavaliers currently sit in third place in the Eastern Conference and have nearly clinched a playoff berth. However, only 3.5 games separate Cleveland from the No. 8 seed in the standings, and an injury-riddled roster will now be without its head coach.