
Donovan Mitchell missed the second half of the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-109 Game 4 loss to the Indiana Pacers after what the team announced as a left ankle injury. It was a gut punch to what was an embarrassing loss for the top-seeded Cavaliers.
After the game, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson had “no idea” what Mitchell’s status would be for Game 5, but after undergoing an MRI on Monday where he was diagnosed with a reaggravation of an ankle injury, Mitchell is officially active and in the starting lineup for Tuesday night’s matchup.
That’s a huge sigh of relief for Cleveland, as Mitchell has been the lone bright spot for the Cavaliers in their first three playoff games against the Pacers. Mitchell was averaging 41.3 points per game in the second round heading into Game 4. Entering Sunday, his dominance was their only consistent strength against an Indiana team that is peaking at the perfect time. But then, everything fell apart for the Cavs.
The Pacers shellacked the Cavaliers. They were up 80-39 at halftime (that 41-point gap is tied for the biggest halftime lead in playoff history), and went on to win by 20. Mitchell’s injury at halftime was just the cherry on top of what was a disastrous game. The injury occurred when he tried to get some shots up during halftime, but didn’t look comfortable. He ultimately was not on the court or even on the Cavs’ bench when the second half began.
Here’s a look at how the injury occurred:
Fortunately it sounds like Mitchell’s injury isn’t anything serious, but the fact that he now has to deal with a nagging ankle injury adds to the problems plaguing the Cavs.
Cleveland will need to win three consecutive games, including one in Indiana, to reach the Eastern Conference finals. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter are all playing through injuries and missed Game 2. This team was already operating at considerably less than full strength, but Mitchell was so good he was keeping them in the mix.
This 64-win season could be coming to an end, but Mitchell will be on the court to help his team fend off elimination.
This news was originally published on this post .
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