Written by Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd
Cleveland Cavaliers starting forward Evan Mobley is likely headed for another extended injury absence, this time due to a sprained left ankle during Tuesday's improbable win over the Boston Celtics, multiple league sources said. The athlete.
Mobley will have to wait until the significant swelling subsides to get an official timetable, but one source said “it will take some time” and another said he “will be out for a while.”
Mobley suffered the injury after a successful dunk with 5:29 left in the third quarter of the Cavaliers' 105-104 victory over the Celtics, as they overcame a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Mobley's teammate, Sam Merrill, fouled out after Mobley moved his ankle so the Cavaliers could take him out of the game, and he was escorted back to the locker room. Mobley left Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on crutches, and was ruled out of the team's game Wednesday night in Atlanta.
Mobley, an NBA defenseman who is averaging 15.6 points and 10.2 rebounds this season, missed six weeks from mid-December through late January due to minor knee surgery. His replacement in Tuesday's win, Dean Wade, scored 20 of his 23 points during Cleveland's furious comeback in the fourth quarter.
The Cavaliers are also without starters Donovan Mitchell (left knee) and Max Strus (right knee) this week, who along with Mobley make up three-fifths of their regular starting lineup.
Cleveland enters tonight's game half a game behind Milwaukee, which is in second place in the East.
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