Mo Williams: Out Tonight, Possibly Longer

So much for both teams being healthy for tonight’s game. Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer is reporting that all-star guard Mo Williams will miss tonight’s game (and possibly more) with a sprained shoulder.

Williams has a left shoulder sprain, a result of a hit he took Tuesday night against the Toronto Raptors as he reached for a steal in the third quarter. He briefly left the game, but returned to play in the fourth quarter and went just 1-of-4 from the field.

The Cavs called it a strain that night but now are calling it a sprain, which technically means there is a tear in the shoulder. The team was not putting any timetable on the injury this morning. Williams is believed to be at the Cleveland Clinic getting tests.

Yikes, that’s a big loss. Williams killed the Lakers when these two teams played on Christmas Day, scoring 28 points on just 13 shots. He tore up Derek Fisher that game, then took his heart out and tore him up again. The Lakers, normally a great defensive team, had no shot guarding him.

Without Williams, Delonte West will get the start, and Daniel Gibson, a postseason hero turned benchwarmer, will be dusted off for reserve minutes.

Coach Mike Brown had this to say (via SB Nation’s Fear The Sword)

“It’s tough,” Head Coach Mike Brown said. “But I like the guys in this locker room and I’m confident other guys will step up. It’s part of the business. You hope he gets better soon but you have to keep going forward.”