The Cleveland Cavaliers face uncertainty about Donovan Mitchell’s availability for Saturday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks at Rocket Arena.
Mitchell is listed as questionable on the NBA injury report for the 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff. James Harden, Jarrett Allen and Peyton Watson are also questionable.
Evan Mobley has been ruled out with a left great toe sprain. Sam Merrill is unavailable because of right elbow injury management.
The situation follows Friday’s 133-121 loss to the Miami Heat. Cleveland was unable to return home that night because of widespread flight disruptions from a nationwide FAA ground stop.
Mitchell played 33 minutes in the loss and finished with 25 points on 9-of-21 shooting, including 5-of-12 from 3-point range, along with four rebounds and seven assists. Harden added 20 points, six rebounds and eight assists in 35 minutes.
The Cavaliers spent the night in Miami after the game. They arranged a Saturday morning flight back to Cleveland, according to reports from the team’s travel plans.
Mitchell had already voiced frustration about the schedule before the latest injury designation. Asked whether the Mavericks game should be canceled, he said, “Me, personally, yeah for sure.”
He continued, “This is unprecedented. Back-to-back. Three-hour flight. It was already going to be a tough one. But if they say we have to play then we have to play.”
The team has since landed in Cleveland. No final decision on Mitchell’s status has been announced ahead of tipoff.
Mitchell is averaging 23.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists through 13 games this season. He has scored at least 23 points in five of his last six appearances entering Saturday.
If Mitchell and Harden are limited or unavailable, Cleveland would turn to reserves for more creation. Rookie Tyrese Proctor scored 22 points off the bench against Miami on 7-of-9 shooting, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, with four rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes.
An absence by Allen would further thin the frontcourt with Mobley already out. Coach Kenny Atkinson must decide how much the available players can handle after consecutive games and the disrupted travel.
Dallas entered the weekend already in Cleveland and did not face the same overnight travel issues. The Mavericks hold a scheduling edge heading into the matchup.
Cleveland sits at 6-7 and seventh in the Eastern Conference. The questionable tags do not guarantee any of the listed players will sit, but they leave the Cavaliers with limited options for their starting lineup.
The team must finalize its approach before the 7:30 p.m. tipoff. Multiple key contributors remain uncertain after the combination of injuries and the late return from Miami.
