It went from bad to worse Sunday evening for top seeds in the Eastern Conference. The Cleveland Cavaliers not only fell behind 3-1 in their best-of-seven series, but they are now confronted with great injury problems on their way to Game 5.
In Tuesday’s must-win matchup, the Cavaliers are possible without their leading scorer, Donovan Mitchell. He left Game 4 after just 20 minutes on the field with 12 points and -35 plus -min rating.
After the game, head coach Kenny Atkinson spoke the media about the status of Mitchell. His answer, shared through Sportscenter, was short and direct:
Kenny Atkinson gives an update about Donovan Mitchell. pic.twitter.com/nyq3yicmcd
– Sports Center (@sportscenter) May 12, 2025
“A few left,” said Atkinson. “Left ankle injury. He will get an MRI tomorrow.”
When he improved the availability of Mitchell, Atkinson added:
“No idea, he clearly couldn’t go in the second half. So see what the MRI says.”
This is a potentially devastating blow to a Cleveland team that came in the play -offs as the best seed in the east. Mitchell, the former striking Louisville, has an average of 31.3 points per match during his first seven postseason steps.
He was just as impressive during the regular season and posted 24 points and five assists per match. In Cleveland’s Game 3 victory on the Pacers on Friday, Mitchell donated 43 points and picked up nine rebounds. That followed on a performance of 48 points on May 6.
When Mitchell is sidelined, the Cavaliers need large versions of Guards Darius Garland and Max Strus. Bench -contributors such as Ty Jerome and Dean Wade can also be asked to perform and play crucial minutes.
Garland led the cavaliers in scoring with 21 points in game 4, although he ended with a plus -min of -21.
Game 5 is planned for Tuesday in Rocket MortGage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. The Cavaliers need a large change – possibly without their observatory – to keep their late season expectations alive.
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