Mitchell will miss his second straight game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have listed Donovan Mitchell as out for Friday’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. Mitchell hasn’t played since Sunday when the Cavs beat the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s out with a groin injury.
De’Andre Hunter is also on the injury report. He’s listed as probable to play with an illness. Hunter missed the previous game against Brooklyn.
The Cavs clinched a playoff spot last week. This week, they clinched their division for the first time since 2018. A 12-5 record the rest of the way would give them the best season in franchise history — and a 15-2 record would make them the third team in league history to win 70 games.
Mitchell’s absence will obviously make this harder. But it won’t be as difficult as in the past. Cleveland went just 12-15 last season when Mitchell was injured. This year, they hold a perfect 5-0 record even when Mitchell is on the sidelines.
Mitchell is averaging 23.3 points on 20% shooting from the three-point line in March. While it’s important for Mitchell to regain his rhythm before the playoffs — it’s more important he enters the postseason healthy and ready to play. There’s no reason to risk a lingering injury when the Cavs have already taken a commanding lead for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Entering this matchup, the Grizzlies hold the fourth-best record in the league. Memphis is top-10 in both offense and defense. They can pose all sorts of problems to Cleveland even at full strength. No Mitchell means the Cavs will need strong performances elsewhere to keep their 15-game winning streak alive.