The Cleveland Cavaliers performed remarkably during the regular season and the first round of the playoffs. Thanks to it, they were recently able to enter the Semifinals after a five-year gap. Unfortunately, after three games against the Boston Celtics, their win record currently stands at 1-2. Two more losses and the franchise will have to bid farewell to its chances of possessing the championship ring. Therefore, the upcoming Game 4 will require the Cavaliers to establish a momentum that could put them on a trajectory to even out the score. Unfortunately, thanks to the revelations from a recent update, the franchise may have to do so without two of their lead scorers: Donovan Mitchell and Jarett Allen.

Back in March, Donovan Mithcell had developed a knee bone bruise in his left leg. As a result, he missed out on more than seven games during the regular season. While the injury seemed to have been far behind him during the playoffs, the player reportedly picked up the calf strain on the same leg during the recent Game 3. While his performance during the matchup was phenomenal, there were indications that something was not right after only 4 of the player’s 22 shot attempts were made in the restricted area. Furthermore, his free throw attempts were almost reduced by half.

Jarrett Allen has been missing from the main lineup throughout the Semifinals series. During his last appearance in Game 4 against the Orlando Magic, the player accidentally collided with Franz Vagner and reportedly ended up getting his rib “pierced.” A TNT report highlighted that Allen was even having trouble sleeping due to the injury. Furthermore, he wasn’t even efficient during team practices. Despite J.B. Bickerstaff claiming that Allen is showing “signs of progress”, there is a meager chance that he will return to the main lineup anytime soon.

Owing to this, both of them made it to the injury report for tonight’s matchup. Fox 8 reporter, John Sabol highlighted the detailed report that suggests Mitchell and Allen to be in the “questionable” categories for tonight. While Mitchell is out because of a left calf strain, Allen is out because of a rib contusion.

Ty Jerome and Craig Porter are listed as ‘OUT’ on the Injury Report. However, their absence will not affect the Cavaliers in any way. From the Boston Celtics side, Kristaps Porzingis, who has also been absent throughout the semifinals, remains in the ‘OUT’ category. A new addition to the report is center Luke Kornet, who is listed as ‘Probable’ in light of his right calf tightness.

How has Donovan Mitchell performed during the three matchups against the Boston Celtics?

While the Cleveland Cavaliers may hold a 1-2 record against the Celtics, the same cannot be blamed on the individual performance of Donovan Mitchell. In the last three matchups, the player secured an average score of 31.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists to his name. He took the scoring lead in all of them and was the only Cavaliers player in two games to score more than 20 points.

Given the high stakes, an increase in Mithcell’s shooting capabilities also became noticeable. He has been making an average of 11.3-22 field goals, 5.3-10 three-pointers, and 3.7-4.7 free throws during the games. Jarrett Allen’s continued absence placed the Cavaliers at a significant disadvantage.

USA Today via Reuters

If Donovan Mitchell is also taken out of the picture, then the franchise has little hope of making it through Jayson Tatum and Co. As the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse prepares itself to host the teams, fans will have to wait and see whether the lead scorer’s injury will allow him to be available or not.