The Cleveland Cavaliers play the second leg of a back-to-back on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. With something of a lighter matchup on deck and the playoffs looming, it appears the team is prioritizing the health of some of its stars.
Star guards Donovan Mitchell (ankle) and James Harden (personal) have been ruled out for tonight’s game.
The pair of star backcourt talents join an extensive injury report with Max Strus, Jaylon Tyson and Dean Wade among other names who will sit out tonight.
Mitchell has been a force for Cleveland this season with a team-best 27.8 points per game, also averaging 5.7 assists with 1.5 steals. Over his last seven games, he’s scored 38, 34 and 42 points in this span.
Typically, Harden would be the biggest beneficiary of Mitchell’s absence. With averages of 20.5 points and 7.9 assists per contest, the veteran guard has played an integral role since arriving in Cleveland via trade 24 games ago. His shooting efficiency over this span stands out in particular, hitting 48.1% of his overall shots and 44.0% of his tries from beyond the arc. However, he’ll also be sidelined.
The Cavaliers are 49-29 overall, good for fourth in the Eastern Conference. They’re only one game back of the third-seeded New York Knicks, so there’s still a chance they could make a push into better postseason positioning.
For tonight’s matchup against the Grizzlies, Cleveland is listed as a 12.5-point road favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
