Donovan Mitchell Exits Game 4 With Ankle Injury as Pacers Dominate Cavs
Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell couldn’t finish Sunday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers after suffering a left ankle injury. The Cavs, already struggling, went on to lose 129-109 in Game 4.
Mitchell will get an MRI on Monday.
“We’re not sure about his availability for Game 5 yet,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said after the game. The team returns home Tuesday with the series now tied 2-2.
The injury apparently happened during halftime warmups. Mitchell felt discomfort in his ankle and stopped mid-shot, bending over in pain. Team medical staff quickly came to check on him.
He never returned for the second half.
Mitchell had scored 12 points on just 3-of-11 shooting in 20 minutes before the injury. This came after he’d put up back-to-back 40-point games – something no Cavalier had done in the playoffs since LeBron James.
The Pacers were already crushing Cleveland when Mitchell went down. Indiana led by a stunning 80-39 at halftime, tying an NBA playoff record with their 41-point advantage.
At one point, the Pacers pushed their lead to 44 points.
“Complete domination by them,” Atkinson admitted after the game. “They dominated us in every facet of the game.”
There might be a silver lining for Cleveland if Mitchell can’t go Tuesday. The Cavs have actually gone 9-2 in games without their star this season.
Darius Garland stepped up with 21 points in just his second game back from a toe injury. Isaac Okoro added 13 off the bench, while Max Strus contributed 11 points and 6 rebounds.
Through eight playoff games, Mitchell has been the engine for Cleveland’s offense, averaging 28.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting a solid 46.2% from the field.
Atkinson tried to find some positives amid the blowout, noting that Cleveland hosts two of the final three games in the series.
“I’m glad we have home court for two of the three,” he said.
That advantage might not mean much, though. The Pacers have already won twice in Cleveland this series.
