Bullet point summary by AI
- The Cleveland Cavaliers face a critical Game 3 with Donovan Mitchell’s health in question after a concerning late-game moment.
- Mitchell was not listed on the official injury report but could still be managing a lingering issue that affects his mobility.
- The bench unit now carries added pressure to step up when the star is off the court, with two key sharpshooters needing to rediscover their touch.
Is Donovan Mitchell injured or not? It’s a question we were all wondering after the Cleveland Cavs, Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks to fall back 2-0 in the series. The one thing Cleveland needs more than anything is for Mitchell and the rest of this team to be healthy. It’s not looking good for a team that’s clawed through two Game 7s to reach their first Eastern Conference Finals sans LeBron James.Â
Late in Game 2, Mitchell looked like he was limping a bit and could have potentially tweaked something that could keep him out of Game 3. The Cavs need all hands on deck if they plan on getting a win in this series and put pressure on the Knicks, who are two games away from a second straight sweep in these playoffs.Â
Donovan Mitchell available for Game 3 against the New York Knicks
Neither the New York Knicks or the Cleveland Cavaliers have an injury designation on the injury list head of Game 3. That means Mitchell has the green light, which truly shouldn’t be a surprise. It was an apparent lower body ailment that affected him on Thursday. His availability will be clutch for the Cavaliers as they desperately need a win on Saturday night. Mitchell is averaging 26 points per game this postseason. He has carried this offense so far, scoring 29 points in Game 1 and 26 in Game 2.Â
They’ll need him in Game 3, the first of two back in Cleveland. That said, you’ll have to monitor Mitchell throughout the game. Though he wasn’t listed on the injury report, it doesn’t mean he’s not ailing. I’m sure he has been going to extra lengths to make sure he’s as close to 100 percent by game time as possible.Â
Cleveland Cavaliers projected lineup with fully healthy roster for Game 3
|
STARTER |
POSITION |
BENCH |
|---|---|---|
|
James Harden |
PG |
Dennis Schroeder |
|
Donovan Mitchell |
SG |
Sam Merrill |
|
Dean Wade |
SF |
Max Strus |
|
Evan Mobley |
PF |
Jaylen Tyson |
|
Jarrett Allen |
C |
Jarrett Allen/Evan Mobley |
Mitchell will be the starting shooting guard for the Cavs barring any surprise setbacks ahead of Saturday’s game. As important as he’ll be, the Cavs’ bench will need to be the difference in this one, not just Mitchell. While the bench scored 25 points in Game 1, they had just 19 in Game 2 with no bench player scoring more than five points.
The Cavs have used both a deep bench and a shallow one in this series. Once Kenny Atkinson figures out the right core of guys to play, that should help with bench production. With Mitchell in the fold, it certainly helps, but he’ll need help. That falls on Sam Merrill and Max Strus, in particular.Â
Why the Cavs bench has more pressure on them with Donovan Mitchell’s availability
Sam Merrill was 0-for-7 from beyond the 3-point arc and Max Strus was 1-for-4. They’re the two fire-starters on this offense from the bench so the fact that they were cold in Game 2 shows why they’re more important than what Mitchell does. Yes he’s the star, but he’s going to have a good game most likely, regardless of the outcome. What Merrill and Strus do when Mitchell’s not on the court is going to be the difference in this one.
Merrill is shooting 42 percent from the field as the team’s resident sharpshooter. He can’t have another game where he can’t make a 3-pointer. Strus is the type of player that can score both inside and out. Atkinson uses a nine-man rotation, which means if two of those players are cold, it holds the rest of the team back.
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