The Cleveland Cavaliers came up with a huge win on Tuesday night as they escaped with a 104-103 victory against the Orlando Magic. The Cavs defended their home court to secure a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6 in Orlando on Friday.
What makes Cleveland’s victory even more impressive is the fact that they managed to squeeze out a win despite missing the services of starting center Jarrett Allen.
Cleveland Cavaliers News: Jarrett Allen Dealing with ‘Pierced’ Rib
Allen was forced to sit out Tuesday’s win due to a right rib contusion. He was a late addition to the injury report heading into Game 5, which came as a bit of a surprise considering how productive he was in Game 4.
As it turns out, Allen’s injury could be more serious than initially anticipated:
“Jarrett Allen, the Cavs’ center and most consistent player in the series, had a right rib ‘pierced,’ according to a team source, by an elbow from Wagner in Game 4 and couldn’t play in Game 5,” worte Cavs insider Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
It’s not very often that you hear about a “pierced” rib, but it does sound serious. The fact that Allen was not able to play in Game 5 speaks volumes of the gravity of the injury he’s currently dealing with.
True enough, Allen is now in danger of missing Game 6 as well. The All-Star big man reportedly skipped practice on Thursday, and has officially been listed as questionable to play for Friday’s contest in Orlando.
The Cavs have an opportunity to close this series out in Game 6, and it appears that they might need to do it without Allen in the mix.
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