Hughes likely out tonight

Slumping Cavalier hurts foot, says he's 'doubtful' for Game 4

? The throbbing pain in Larry Hughes’ left foot matched the ache in the pit of his stomach. The thought of missing another NBA playoff game was tough on Cleveland’s point guard.

Cleveland's Larry Hughes hobbles to the bench in the first quarter of the Cavaliers' 88-82 victory over the Pistons in Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. Hughes suffered a strain of the left plantar fascia and is doubtful for tonight's Game 4 in Cleveland.

Hughes, mired in a shooting slump during the postseason, likely will sit out Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against Detroit after he tore the plantar fascia in his left foot during the Cavaliers’ 88-82 victory in Game 3.

Hughes, who didn’t play in the fourth quarter Sunday night, described his chances of playing in today’s game as “pretty slim” and “doubtful.”

“It’s a tear,” Hughes said Monday. “It’s not just sore. I haven’t been faced with something this painful. I can hardly put any pressure on it.”

The injury is personally difficult for Hughes, who missed four conference semifinal games against the Pistons in last year’s playoffs following the death of his younger brother, Justin. He wanted to make this postseason memorable for other reasons.

“I think this is a series that we can win,” he said, “so I definitely want to be a part of it.”

The Cavaliers, who trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, listed Hughes as doubtful on their official medical update and diagnosed Hughes’ injury as a strain of the left foot plantar fascia.

Hughes, though, said an MRI revealed a partial tear and that it should heal without surgery. He got hurt while planting for a layup, but said his foot has been bothering him for more than a month.

“There wasn’t any contact or anything like that,” he said. “I just probably turned the wrong way. It was hot, and I’ve never torn a muscle or anything like that before. So I knew when I did it that it wasn’t a normal tweak. It was something pretty serious.”

Hughes’ career has been slowed by an assortment of injuries. Last season, his first with the Cavs, he missed 45 games with a finger injury and then missed Games 3, 4, 5 and 6 against the Pistons after Justin died.

Last week, Hughes missed a potential game-winning shot in the final seconds of Game 2, and his shooting touch has been off for weeks. Ironically, he injured his foot on a layup that made him 2-for-2 and gave the Cavs an early five-point lead in Game 3.

“I’m starting to think that May isn’t my month,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s tough. I have to fight through it. I can’t blame anybody, blame anything. I have to see the challenge and take it on.

“That’s the only way I know how to do it.”

If Hughes can’t play, Cavs coach Mike Brown may slide Eric Snow back into his starting lineup. Snow didn’t play in Game 3 and has been in for only 17 minutes in the series, scoring one point.

It’s also possible Brown will start rookie Daniel Gibson. The second-round pick from Texas made several crucial plays at both ends of the floor in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s victory.

James, who had 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in Game 3, trusts Gibson and is confident he can fill in adequately for Hughes.

“Hopefully Larry is healthy enough to play, but if he’s not, one thing is that we’ve played without him,” James said.