The Cleveland Cavaliers have been pushed to the brink of elimination after failing to win Game 4 of their Eastern Conference Semi-Final duel against the Boston Celtics. While they lost Game 4, it wasn’t particularly a blowout by any means, which means the Cavs can actually keep up with the C’s.
However, the narrow loss came with consequences they would rather not deal with. The team will likely not have three of their most important players ready to play by the time Game 5 tips off. Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Caris LeVert are all likely to miss the season-deciding game for the Cavs.
This spells plenty of trouble for the Cavs as they need every player available if they’re going to turn the series on its head. The thought of losing their star player to injury will do nothing but seal the fate of the Cavs this season.
While there’s still hope for the Cavs that Mitchell might still be able to play, the team released an update on the guard’s status that will determine whether the Cavaliers actually have a chance at clinching the series or not.
Cleveland Cavaliers will not play Donovan Mitchell in Game 5 vs Celtics
The Cold Wire’s Ernesto Cova confirmed what many Cavaliers fans feared: Donovan Mitchell is too injured to continue playing for their next game.
He wrote more about the specifics of the Spida’s injury:
Apparently, Mitchell is dealing with a nagging and complicated injury, and the Cavs will play it safely with him.
This is the right call, as calf injuries are quite tricky, and they have led to Achilles injuries in the past.
Mitchell has also been struggling with a knee injury for months, and there’s no clarity as to whether he’s going to require surgery in the offseason or not.
There’s no doubt that the Cavs’ decision not to play Mitchell is a great one. If they want to keep Mitchell in the team beyond next season, they need to show him they care about his well-being.
However, his loss means that there’s a great hole in JB Bickerstaff’s roster that no one in his current squad can fulfill. Mitchell has averaged 29.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists a game. There’s currently no one on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster who can hope to match his production.
It may not be wrong to call the season over for the Cavaliers at this point, but fans can be sure that their team will fight to the bitter end.
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