Donovan Mitchell misses the 2nd half of the Cavs’ loss in Game 4 due to a left ankle injury.
CLEVELAND — A bad ankle wasn’t about to sideline Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell, who was in the lineup for Cleveland’s must-win Game 5 of its second-round series against the Indiana Pacers.
Despite a game-high 35 points from Mitchell, the Cavaliers lost 114-105 and were eliminated from the playoffs.
The All-Star guard came out for his usual pregame shooting routine less than an hour before tipoff. Coach Kenny Atkinson said during his pregame availability that Mitchell participated in Tuesday morning’s shootaround.
Mitchell provided an early clue about his status three hours before Tuesday’s game when he took to X with the Cavaliers’ hashtag theme of #LetEmKnow.’
The All-Star guard had an MRI on Monday, which confirmed the sprained ankle. He did not play the second half of the Cavaliers’ 129-109 loss at Indiana after he appeared to experience pain while warming up during halftime.
Mitchell first suffered the injury on April 6 during the second half against the Sacramento Kings. He stepped on the foot of Sacramento’s Keon Ellis near midcourt before losing his balance and rolling his left ankle.
Mitchell missed the last four games of the regular season due to the injury. He finished with 12 points in 20 minutes as the top-seeded Cavs trailed 80-39 at halftime.
Mitchell is averaging 28.9 points during the playoffs, including five games with at least 30 points.
The Cavaliers have been beset by injuries during the postseason. Darius Garland missed four games due to a left big toe injury, while De’Andre Hunter (right thumb) and Kia Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley (left ankle) were out for Game 2 against the Pacers after being injured in the series opener.
Mitchell had also been dealing with a calf strain before reinjuring his left ankle.
“I’m banged up, we all are. It’s tough, but that’s what the playoffs are,” Mitchell said after scoring 48 points in Cleveland’s 120-119 loss last Tuesday.
