Cavaliers’ Mascot Hospitalized After Playfighting With David West

Mascot down! Mascot down! The Cleveland Cavaliers’ mascot, Moondog, had to be taken to a local hospital last night, when a playfight with David West of the visiting Indiana Pacers got a little too rough. The Plain Dealer reports: “The Cavaliers’ growing injury list will now include its team mascot. Moondog needed to be taken to a local hospital after suffering an eye injury during a pre-game play fight with Indiana Pacers forward David West at The Q on Wednesday night. The Cavalier canine was later released and a team spokesman said he should be fine. The club did not update his status for Sunday’s game against Orlando. It’s unclear whether the Cavs, already without Kyrie Irving and Anderson Varejao among others, will need to promote a mascot from the NBA Development League. ‘He jumped at me so I thought we were playing around and then the next thing I know he went down,’ West told reporters after the game. ‘It was definitely an accident.’ Moondog was spotted running through the hall, his dog head removed, clutching a towel to his eye. The mascot occasionally has fun sparring with opposing players before the game or during a timeout. Moondog and West exchanged some playful punches and apparently one caught him hard enough to do damage.”