Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was downgraded from questionable to out ahead of Thursday’s matchup at Chicago, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The 6’2″ combo guard is dealing with a left eye contusion and said his vision was obstructed after Tuesday’s win in Milwaukee, per Fedor (Twitter link).
“Can’t really see out of my left eye,” Mitchell said. “It was tough — tonight. It is what it is. I was still able to get to the free throw line. Was still able to make plays. My biggest thing was like, I may not have it scoring wise, but what else am I doing to help?”
Second-year wing Jaylon Tyson got the starting nod for Cleveland on Thursday with Mitchell sidelined.
Here are few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Brooklyn due to patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link). As Jared Schwartz of The New York Post notes (via Twitter), Hart missed a couple of games last week because of knee soreness, but that was to his left knee, not his right. Patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee, is the same issue which has prevented Stephen Curry from playing for several weeks, though there’s no indication Hart’s injury is that severe.
- Hart and Curry aren’t the only NBA players battling runner’s knee. The Timberwolves announced today (via Twitter) that Anthony Edwards, who is out one-to-two weeks due to right knee inflammation, also has patellafemoral pain syndrome in that same knee. The updated diagnosis won’t impact the star guard’s projected return timeline, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune (Twitter link).
- The Magic were shorthanded in the frontcourt for Thursday’s game at Charlotte, as Wendell Carter Jr. (bruised left rib) and Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) were both ruled out, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. As Beede writes in a full story, Isaac was relieved his knee injury, which he suffered last Thursday, wasn’t more serious. The 28-year-old previously missed two-and-a-half seasons with a torn ACL in the same knee. “It sucked,” Isaac said Tuesday. “It was tough. Based on what I felt, it was like an ‘Oh man, not again’ type of moment. So, I kind of just tried to manage my expectations when I (was) hearing from the doctor, but gratefully, they said it’s just a sprain, and that’ll be something I can come back from this season.” Isaac’s return isn’t imminent, Beede adds — the veteran big man won’t start ramping up his activity until next week. “I’m really glad it wasn’t something worse,” Isaac said. “So, I just have to manage this sprain and get better. Just wait until it calms down a little bit with the inflammation and the pain, and then slowly work back.”