Cleveland Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell walked off the court at halftime with a supposed ankle injury. Recent updates on the matter have revealed that Mitchell may be sidelined for the rest of the game as the Cavs’ struggles with injury continue to haunt them in this postseason campaign.
Mitchell seemingly hurt his left ankle during the shootaround during halftime. With the Cavs down by 41 points against the Indiana Pacers, the guard appeared to get some shots up in an attempt to establish an offensive rhythm heading into the second half.
In the process of stepping into a three-point shot, Mitchell doubled over and had to be looked at by the coaching staff. His return to the floor has since been deemed doubtful.
Donovan Mitchell is doubtful to return with an ankle injury that appeared to happen at halftime… pic.twitter.com/TbsbVAUb8y
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 12, 2025
Cleveland’s postseason run has been plagued by injuries. With key players such as Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter missing crucial games, the team found themselves stacking up losses in the first two games.
A healthy roster in Game 3 showed signs of hope for the remainder of the series as they came up with a blowout win. However, Mitchell’s injury status does not bode well for the Cavaliers in Game 4. He was their primary contributor for the game, as he was the only player in double figures with 12 points in the first half.
The offensive onslaught carried out by the Pacers in the first half has put a lot of pressure on Cleveland heading into the second. With the additional pressure of seeing their star out of the rotation, the Cavs will hope to see their core of Garland and Mobley aid their efforts to overcome this deficit.
Fortunately, this has been seen to some extent as Garland has taken over the offensive burden left behind in the wake of Mitchell’s absence. With 21 points and six rebounds, the Cavs guard has led Cleveland in the scoring department. Meanwhile, Mobley has had an underwhelming 10 points and five rebounds heading into the final frame of the night.
The Cavs are still facing a sizeable deficit heading into the last four minutes of the fourth quarter. While Cleveland has certainly increased their scoring output from the first quarter, they haven’t been able to match the offensive productivity displayed by Indiana’s roster.
Pacers players Myles Turner, Obi Toppin, and Pascal Siakam have all recorded 20+ points on the night. Tyrese Haliburton has had a quiet game with only 11 points, five rebounds, and five assists. However, his impact has been felt on the floor as Indiana’s offense has been firing on all cylinders.
The Cavaliers are likely to see this game result in a loss. On the verge of facing a 3-1 deficit on the night, Cleveland may very well find themselves in a tough spot heading back home for Game 5.
