Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell Ruled Out For Critical Game 4 Vs. Celtics

The Boston Celtics have the picture-perfect chance to punish the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Monday night and take a commanding 3-1 lead.

Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell was officially ruled out due to a left calf strain before the 7:00 p.m. ET tip-off from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mitchell had been averaging a Cavaliers-leading 29.6 points in the postseason, responsible for keeping their underdog squad competitive in the first two games against the Celtics in Boston.

When the series made its way from Boston to Cleveland, the Celtics executed an effective Mitchell-focused scheme, aimed at taking a toll on the five-time All-Star. Boston used its offensive response to tire out Mitchell in the second half, opening a window for a late-game push on the scoreboard.

With Mitchell sidelined, Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickserstaff will go with Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, Max Strus, Issac Okoro and Evan Mobley for Cleveland’s starting lineup in a desperation Game 4.