THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Wednesday, April 29, 2015

It has been a while since I've been glued to the television for an NBA playoff series on a day off with nothing better to do.

Sunday's game between Cleveland and Boston caught my interest for change. But for all the wrong reasons.

FOR WHAT it's worth, basketball just hasn't captured my interest as much since Michael Jordan retired. Watching him play, you just never knew exactly what he'd do next, whether that was switch hands in the middle of the air for a layup in the NBA Finals, or start dropping 3-pointers in another game.

Jordan also played with the flu, and had one of his most memorable games of his career in leading the Chicago Bulls past the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.

Sunday's game, well, didn't have much of that.

The play talked most about during Sunday's game was Boston's Kelly Olynyk wrestling with Cleveland's Kevin Love for a rebound, Olynyk eventually injuring Love's shoulder.

Cleveland, which led 57-36 at halftime, won the game 101-93 to sweep the series.

Watching the replay a few times, it's not apparent that the former Gonzaga star was trying to injure Love, but it happened.

Love, it is believed, will miss the remainder of the playoffs due to separating his left shoulder, but the injury is believed to take four to six weeks to heal.

In four to six weeks, the NBA Finals will be getting started, should Cleveland be able to advance that far.

Without Love, those chances aren't good according to some, but there's always a chance with LeBron James, isn't there?

For Olynyk, he'll miss the first game of Boston's season next year due to a suspension.

Had that been the only controversial play of the game, that might have been just fine.

Then, just like is bound to happen, someone retaliated.

JUST BEFORE the end of the first half, Cleveland's J.R. Smith landed a haymaker to Boston's Jae Crowder that might make those watching the Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing match smile.

Again, battling for a rebound, Smith whipped his fist around and knocked Crowder out of the game. Smith will miss the next two playoff games. Crowder missed what turned into a closer game, but still a sweep on Sunday.

It wasn't so long ago that teams legitimately hated each other, and that drew fans to see what was going to happen next.

Heat-Knicks, Bulls-Knicks, Lakers-Celtics, Pistons and whoever they were playing, you never really knew what to expect.

Sunday's game between the Cavaliers and Celtics was one that reminded me, at least, that some rivalries may still be alive and well.

Even if for all the wrong reasons.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.