The Cleveland Cavaliers face an elimination game against the Boston Celtics, but they will be missing a vital player when they take the court Wednesday night.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Donovan Mitchell is expected to miss Game 5 with a calf strain. Mitchell also missed Game 4 with the same injury.
Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell is expected to miss tonight’s potential elimination Game 5 against Boston, sources told me and @joevardon. Mitchell is dealing with a calf strain. pic.twitter.com/mdp5As2FVI
– Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 15, 2024
Coming into Wednesday’s game, Mitchell was averaging 29.6 points per game in the playoffs. He and the rest of the Cavs have had to make up for the absence of Jarrett Allen, who has missed the last seven games with a right rib contusion.
The Cavaliers have been banged up all season, but this is the worst time to lose a player like Mitchell. They are losing 3-1 to the Celtics, who have looked unstoppable in all but one game of this series, and desperately need big performances from several players to try to extend the series by one more game. Mitchell’s absence means the Cavs have one less player who has the ability to change a game in the blink of an eye.
The Cavs and Celtics meet at 7:00 pm ET on TNT.