CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell will miss the Cleveland Cavaliers' game against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night after the all-star guard sprained his left ankle during the second half of Sunday's game against Sacramento.
Mitchell stepped on the foot of Sacramento’s Keon Ellis near midcourt before losing his balance and rolling his left ankle. The 6-foot-3 guard was writhing in pain while being looked at by trainers before limping to the locker room.
Mitchell eventually returned after missing nearly seven minutes of game action. He played the final 15:02 of the Cavaliers' 120-113 loss. He was limping around the locker room after the game.
“I want to get the one seed and go from there. If I’m able to go, I’m able to go,” said Mitchell, who had 19 points in the loss. “A little hobbled after the first adrenaline rush or probably the first five to 10 minutes. But I’m trying to win and help my team win any way possible.
“I'm not going to assess the future until we figure out what’s ahead. I'm going to be smart and figure it out when it gets to it.”
Mitchell leads the Cavaliers in scoring, averaging 24 points per game. He is the only player in the league averaging at least 24 points in 32 minutes or fewer.
Mitchell has missed only four games this season due to injury, including three last month due to left groin soreness.
Cleveland has a 62-16 record and needs one more win or a Boston loss to wrap up the best record in the Eastern Conference for the fourth time in franchise history.
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Joe Reedy, The Associated Press
