CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell is expected to be ready for the Cleveland Cavaliers' playoff run despite missing the last four games of the regular season with a sprained left ankle.
The all-star guard was injured on April 6 during the second half against the Sacramento Kings. He worked out on the court before Sunday's game against the Indiana Pacers after getting a full workout in at the team's training facility on Saturday.
“I think he’ll be full on with practice. We’re going to have to scrimmage at some point, probably inter-squad with refs, so he’ll participate in that,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “The most important thing is how we build him up with the ankle rehab and then conditioning.”
Mitchell was one of nine players, including four starters, that Cleveland sat out for Sunday’s regular-season finale. The Cavaliers (63-18) will go into the playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference for only the fourth time in franchise history and first since winning the NBA title in 2016.
As the No. 1 seed, Cleveland's first playoff game is not expected to be until April 20 since the eighth seed in the East won't be determined until the final play-in tournament games on Friday.
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.
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Joe Reedy, The Associated Press
