Cavaliers Extremely Shorthanded Ahead Of Elimination Game Vs. Celtics

UPDATE (11:39 a.m. ET): Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell is expected to miss Game 5 in Boston, according to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

ORIGINAL STORY: The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t have much of a chance to extend their series with the Boston Celtics anyway, but the likelihood of a Game 6 plummeted Wednesday morning.

Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert all missed shootaround at TD Garden, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Does that mean Cleveland will be without all three players Wednesday? No, not necessarily, but it’s another sign that it will be shorthanded entering a game with Boston. Allen has not appeared in the series to this point, while Mitchell missed a Game 4 loss with a calf injury. LeVert hasn’t missed a game but suffered a bone bruise in his left knee Monday.

Mitchell and Allen both arrived following the conclusion of on-court work, per Bobby Manning of CLNS Media.

The Celtics will enter Game 5 with only one name on the injury report. Kristaps Porzingis will remain sidelined with his right soleus strain, but Boston has only lost one game since he went down on April 29 — so it likely isn’t too worried on that front.

The C’s have an opportunity to close out the Cavaliers on Wednesday, with a win clinching their sixth spot in the Eastern Conference finals in the last eight seasons.