The Cleveland Cavaliers aren't ready to be buried. They have responded with two big wins after news broke that Evan Mobley and Darius Garland would miss an extended period of time after both needed surgery. Donovan Mitchell has unsurprisingly led the way with 59 points and 19 assists in the two games.
Tonight the Cavaliers play host to the Utah Jazz, the team that traded Mitchell to Cleveland. Will Mitchell be available and on the court against his old club? Let's look at the latest news on Mitchell and the rest of the injured players on both teams for tonight's game.
Will Donovan Mitchell play tonight?
Donovan Mitchell is currently QUESTIONABLE for tonight's game due to illness. When the Cavaliers convened for shootaround ahead of tonight's game, Mitchell was nowhere to be found. Missing shootaround is certainly not a good sign; Mitchell wasn't even doing light work.
With that being said, Mitchell also knows how much the Cavaliers need him to generate offense, and playing against his old team is also a matchup he doesn't want to miss. If he can possibly get on the court tonight, he will play. Keep an eye out for his patented "Let em know" he Tweets out before games that he plans to play in.
Other Cavaliers on the injury report
There are no surprises on the Cavaliers' injury report for tonight's game. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley remain out as they rehab from surgeries undergone on Monday; Mobley to clear a loose body from his knee, and Garland to repair a fractured jaw.
Ricky Rubio remains out as he is away from the team. Ty Jerome is out, but he was at shootaround this morning getting up shots in his walking boot. He is not expected back anytime soon, unfortunately. All other players are healthy and expected to be available tonight.
If Mitchell is ready to go tonight, expect the Cavaliers to continue deploying their starting 5 of Mitchell, Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade and Jarrett Allen. If Allen is not ready to play, Caris LeVert probably steps into the starting lineup to shoulder the offensive load.
Jazz injury report
Former Cavaliers player Lauri Markkanen is healthy and expected to play, but the same cannot be said for former Cavs guard Jordan Clarkson, currently out nursing a thigh strain. Rookie guard Keyonte George is also out with a foot injury, leaving the Jazz perilously thin at guard.
The Jazz should be one of the weaker opponents that the Cavaliers face this season, especially down their two best guards, but if Cleveland doesn't have its three best players they won't exactly be in a strong position. Everyone on the Cleveland side hopes that Mitchell will be healthy enough to play tonight, none more so than Mitchell himself.