Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell expected to miss Game 5

Cleveland will be without their star for the second straight game, this time facing elimination on the road in Boston

The Cleveland Cavaliers will again be without Donovan Mitchell as they fight to keep their season alive against the Boston Celtics Wednesday night, according to The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania.

Mitchell will be sidelined for the second consecutive game with a calf strain, an injury that has begun to define the NBA playoffs. Some, particularly CelticBlog’s own Bill Sy, are beginning to call it “The Postseason of the Calf.”

In Game 4, the Cavaliers managed to keep the game competitive even without Mitchell, though the Celtics were able to hold off Cleveland’s overtures to secure a seven-point win. In Mitchell’s absence, Darius Garland led all Cavaliers scorers with 30 points. Max Strus added 15 first-half points but was held scoreless in the second-half, fouling out in the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers will have to devise defensive solutions for Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, who have looked nearly unstoppable at the rim in the last two games. The Cavaliers may also be without Caris Levert, one of their main scoring options without Mitchell, who is questionable with a knee injury.

The Celtics continue to be without Kristaps Porzingis, a long-term victim of “The Postseason of the Calf.” However, given the Cavaliers’ injury woes, Boston will be under tremendous pressure to close out the series tonight at home and secure a spot in their 6th Eastern Conference Finals in eight years.