Will Cavaliers’ Injury Hit Impact Next Meeting With 76ers?
As the Cleveland Cavaliers slip a bit after heating up before the NBA All-Star break, the Eastern Conference contenders received a negative update on their star guard Donovan Mitchell on Monday.
According to a press release from the Cavs, Mitchell received a Platelet-Rich Plasma injection to treat a left knee bone bruise, which has been a lingering injury for the All-Star lately.
As a result of the injection, Mitchell is set to miss at least the next three games for the Cavaliers. The team plans to re-evaluate him over the weekend and will further update his status following the upcoming stretch.
Since the Cavaliers returned from the break, they’ve participated in seven matchups. Mitchell was only on board for three of those outings. When the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cavaliers battled it out in Cleveland on February 23, the star guard was out for the second straight game.
The Sixers found success against a Mitchell-less Cavs team, collecting a seven-point win.
Over the next three games, Mitchell suited up and averaged nearly 40 minutes on the floor. During that time, he produced 22 points per game while dishing out five assists and coming down with five rebounds. After helping the Cavs bounce back with a 2-1 record after they started their post-break run 0-2, Mitchell took a seat for the next two games.
Against the Detroit Pistons last week, the Cavs collected a ten-point win without Mitchell. When they faced the New York Knicks, they lost by nine points. Now, Mitchell was set to remain sidelined against the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Will Mitchell Face the Sixers Later This Month?
The Cavaliers and the Sixers are set to battle it out once again on March 29 in Cleveland. There’s still plenty of time for Mitchell to get recovered and ready to battle it out with Philadelphia.
Aside from the idea that Mitchell might not be ready by then, depending on how his short-term recovery goes, the Cavaliers will be a team to keep an eye on in the Eastern Conference playoff race. As they are just 5-5 in their last ten games with a tough stretch coming up, the 40-21 third-place Cavs don’t have a ton of cushion with the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, and Sixers right behind them.
