Irving looks like he never left Cavaliers

G Kyrie Irving never missed a beat, as he returned to the Cavaliers on Wednesday with a game-high 22 points in their 98-87 win over Indiana.

Five minutes into the game, he scored over the 7-foot-2 Roy Hibbert of the Pacers, the Cavs knew right away he didn't have any lingering effects of his concussion.

"Because I had a concussion, it doesn't mean I'm going to change my game in any way," Irving said.

His play didn't surprise Coach Byron Scott.

"We've always known from Day 1 he has no fear," he said. "It wasn't surprising to me that his first shot was going to be an aggressive, attack-mode type shot."

Irving was sidelined for the previous three games with a concussion.

The rookie said it was imperative he followed league protocol with concussions.

"It's an NBA-mandated process," Irving said. "It was process I had to go through. It made me appreciate what I was able to do early in the season. I'm glad it's done."

Irving, 19, said he was pretty much symptom-free by last Saturday.

"After the game, I started feeling a headache," he said. "The next day, I woke up and it was even worse. My head was throbbing. I missed a week.

"It's a five-step process you have to go through with the mental and balance tests. The most important thing was my health. Concussions are a serious thing. You never take it for granted. It depends on the severity of it. For me, it was very mild."

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