The Cleveland Cavaliers had their hands full in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Celtics before star guard Donovan Mitchell was dealing with an injury. Mitchell is dealing with a calf strain that was bad enough it kept him out of Game 4.
Facing elimination in Game 5 on the road in Boston, it sounds as if the Cavaliers won’t have Donovan Mitchell in the lineup again. According to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, along with Jor Vardon, Cleveland’s superstar is expected to miss tonight’s game against the Celtics.
That is a truly brutal blow for a Cavaliers team that has also been without starting center Jarrett Allen. Allen hasn’t played since April 27th in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Orlando Magic because of an injury to his ribs.
Without Donovan Mitchell in the lineup this season, the Cavaliers haven’t been a very good team. In the regular season, they were 36-19 with him in the lineup and 12-15 without him. In the postseason, they are 0-1 thus far when he isn’t in the lineup, and the odds are that will become 0-2.
Cleveland is currently massive underdogs in Game 5, being listed at +15.5 Without Mitchell in the lineup, the Cavaliers will likely turn to Caris LeVert to step into the starting lineup again.
LeVert was solid in his absence, scoring 19 points with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block. But, it was not enough to get the win, as the Cavaliers were defeated 109-102, setting up the win-or-go-home scenario for Cleveland on Wednesday night.
Game 3 could have possibly been the last time we see Donovan Mitchell in a Cavaliers uniform. Rumors have swirled that the team could be forced to trade him this offseason if he doesn’t sign a long-term extension to remain in Cleveland.
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