Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland injury updates vs. 76ers

Mitchell has been closing in on a return to action for Cleveland, and while he is listed as questionable for this game, this was his expected return date from his latest group of injuries. Garland meanwhile is dealing with a right ankle sprain, but he is listed as probable for this game, which means the Cavs could have their starting backcourt healthy for this big contest.

It’s not a huge surprise that Mitchell’s absence has coincided with the Cavaliers recent struggles, as he’s taken his game to a new level this season when he’s been healthy (27.4 PPG, 6.1 APG, 5.3 RPG, 46.8 FG%). The sooner he returns to action, the sooner Cleveland will likely be able to stop their recent free fall that has put their playoff seeding in jeopardy.

On the other side of the backcourt, Garland has followed up his breakout 2022-23 campaign with a season full of struggles. Again, injuries have played a role in this, but Garland has not looked like the same player when he’s been on the floor this year (18.4 PPG, 6.4 APG, 2.6 RPG, 44.8 FG%). Getting him going could be the difference between a deep playoff run and crashing out of the first-round for the second straight year.

Regardless of whether these two play, Cleveland will be thankful that they won’t have to bump into Joel Embiid, who is still out for this game despite seemingly closing in on a return to the court himself. With him out, it’s going to be up to Tyrese Maxey to shoulder the main load for the Sixers once again, and his task will become much more difficult if both Mitchell and Garland are healthy.

Right now, it seems likely that both of these guys will be able to take the court for this big game, which is great news for the Cavs. However, as is always the case with this injury stuff, it’s worth checking on again before the game gets underway. But if both Mitchell and Garland can play, the Cavs should end up being favored to come out on top in this matchup.