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Varejao shut down due to injury

Cavaliers fans have seen the last of Anderson Varejao this season.

Cavs coach Byron Scott announced on Friday that Varejao will be shut down for the last five games. In all, he will have missed the last 41 games after fracturing his right wrist on Feb. 10. In the last two seasons, he's missed 92 of a possible 148 games due to injuries.

The Cavs defeated New York on Friday, 98-90. They travel to San Antonio on Sunday.

The Cavs cannot and will not prevent Varejao from playing in the Summer Olympics in London.

"It's terrible that I'm not going to be able to play this season," Varejao said. "The good thing is the bone is healed now. I'm going to keep working out. Unfortunately, I can't play this season anymore, but I'm very excited for the Olympics."

The organization is fine with him playing for Brazil in the Olympics. There's nothing the Cavs could do to prevent it anyhow. That's governed by the NBA and FIBA.

The Cavs stepped in and prevented Zydrunas Ilgauskas from playing for Lithuania in 2008. But they were able to step in because of an insurance issue.

"If everything is OK, if my hand is fine, I'll play for the national team," Varejao said.

He said he's scheduled to report to training camp on June 10.

It wasn't a shock to the 6-foot-11, 260-pound Varejao that he was shut down.

"I kind of did because I was trying really hard working out, trying to shoot the ball, trying to do a lot of stuff out there and I wasn't able to," he said. "It was really sore and I was in a lot of pain. It's frustrating, but it is what it is."

Cavs coach Byron Scott said Varejao's stiffness and pain in his wrist led to the team's decision.

"He can't seem to shake (the pain)," he said. "So, again, we're not going to risk putting him out there when he's not 110 percent. It's just easier for us to shut him down and get him ready for next season. It's a little sore. That, to me, is a telltale sign that there's no way to put him back out there on the basketball floor."

On the season, he averaged 10.8 points and 11.5 rebounds in 25 games. He shot 51.4 percent from the field.