Down Three Starters, Cavs Lean on Mitchell to Save Series

The Cavs’ starting lineup tonight will feature Ty Jerome at point guard, Max Strus on the wing, and Dean Wade filling in at power forward — replacing Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, and Evan Mobley, respectively.

These injuries mean it will take a herculean effort from Donovan Mitchell to prevent Cleveland from falling into a 2–0 hole before heading to Indiana. However, Mitchell has proven he can shoulder that kind of burden before. His time as the lead man in Utah demonstrated exactly what he’s capable of with the playoff spotlight on him in an undermanned situation.

Fans may remember his legendary 2020 first-round duel with Jamal Murray, in which Mitchell averaged 36 points and five assists per game, including two 50-point outings. That Utah team didn’t offer much help either, but Mitchell nearly carried them to the next round by sheer force of will.

We don’t yet know when Garland, Mobley, or Hunter will return, or whether they’ll be healthy enough to make a real impact. However, if Mitchell can don his cape and deliver one of his signature playoff performances tonight, he might just buy the Cavaliers the time they desperately need to regroup and get their playoff run back on track.