The Cavs will look to even the series without two of their best players.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without Donovan Mitchell (calf strain) for a pivotal Game 4 against the Boston Celtics.
Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff confirmed that Mitchell was injured at the end of Game 4. This injury is in the same left leg as the knee injury that kept Mitchell out for a sizeable chunk after the All-Star break. Bickerstaff mentioned that the medical staff hasn’t said anything to him about whether or not this calf strain is a result of powering through the knee injury.
“Obviously he wants to play and he’ll do everything in his power to be able to play,” Bickerstaff said before Game 4. “But it’s always the same with all of our guys. If he’s in a position where he can’t protect himself, we won’t ask him to play. He knows his body well enough at this point where he knows that if he can’t go out and give what he needs to help the win, he won’t be able to play.”
Bickerstaff emphasized that there’s no way to replicate what Mitchell does. It will require everyone to chip in to make up for his absence.
“That’s the only way we can do it,” Bickerstaff said. “Everybody’s going to have tick up a little bit. No one person is going to replace what Donovan does for us. Everybody just got to tick up whatever their strength is, whatever their skillset is.”
Cleveland is 12-15 during the regular season when Mitchell doesn’t play. The Cavs have been outscored by 31 points in the 24 minutes he’s been off the floor this series.
The Celtics’ lone loss to the Cavaliers in the regular season came in a game without Mitchell. Boston’s head coach Joe Mazzulla knows that his team can’t let down even though Cleveland will be without its best player.
“Regardless of who’s in, who’s out, you got to be the hardest playing team,” Mazulla said. “I guess that’s most important. There’ll be some minor adjustments along the way. But you know, it seems like the team that’s fighting the hardest. [It’s] the most desperate team that wins.”
Mazzulla’s response was simple when asked how his team avoids the natural letdown that comes with playing a team that’s without their top players.
“Don’t be human.”
