Devastated Kevin Love explains why Cavs should embrace pain of losing to Bulls

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost a pivotal contest to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

Following the 106-96 loss, Cavs veteran Kevin Love made a heated statement about why his teammates should be devastated with the final result.

“We knew what was in front of us,” Love said. “I wouldn’t say we laid an egg, but I would say we didn’t come out and show what we were capable of across the board. This one definitely hurts.

“I want it to hurt like it f—— hurts me right now. I want it to be painful for them because a lost opportunity like that, it should hurt. You want it to be learning experiences, and sometimes those learning experiences can pull on your heart and be very painful. It’s a major factor for growth. But it’s a bright, bright future for those dudes, and especially those young guys we have on the team to help grow.”

Love, who played in just his 13th game of the season, put up 14 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes on Saturday.

While the Cavs got 22 points apiece from guards Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, they didn’t have enough to take down the Bulls.

The game was especially winnable because the Bulls were without All-Star Zach LaVine. Should the Cavs and Bulls end up in a close situation for a slot in the play-in bracket, the Bulls will have potentially gained an edge due to Saturday’s result.

The Cavs hold the No. 13 seed in the Eastern Conference at 20-36. Meanwhile, the Bulls hold a 23-33 record and are the No. 10 seed, which is the final spot to be available in the play-in competition.

Both teams take each other again on Wednesday.