Cleveland Cavaliers star big man Evan Mobley is likely to miss extended time with an ankle injury that he suffered on Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd.
“Cleveland Cavaliers starting forward Evan Mobley is likely headed for another extended absence due to injury, this time because of a sprained left ankle suffered in an improbable win Tuesday over the Boston Celtics, multiple league sources told The Athletic,” the site reported.
“Mobley has to wait for the significant swelling to subside for an official timeline, but one source said ‘it will be some time’ and another said he ‘will be out awhile.’”
Mobley went down after finishing an open dunk in the win over Boston on Tuesday. The Cavs big man clearly landed awkwardly, and he left Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on crutches.
Evan Mobley went straight to the locker room after rolling his ankle on this dunk. 😬
Celtics/Cavs on ESPN 📺#NBA pic.twitter.com/LY5APLaab2
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) March 6, 2024
The Cavs have already ruled Mobley out for the team’s game against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
This is a massive blow for the Cavs, as it could be the second time this season where the team is without Mobley for an extended period.
Earlier this season, a knee injury that led to Mobley having surgery kept him out of the lineup from Dec. 8 through Jan. 26. He returned to action for the team on Jan. 29 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Cavs certainly are hoping that Mobley can return from his latest injury in time for the playoffs, as the team is one of the best squads in the Eastern Conference this season. With the win over Boston, Cleveland moved to 40-21 on the season, good for the No. 3 spot in the East.
The injury to Mobley comes at a rough time for the Cavs, as Donovan Mitchell is already out of the lineup with a bone bruise in his knee. The team is hoping he won’t be facing an extended absence, but the Cavs won’t have either player on Wednesday night, and Mitchell has already been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves as well.
This season, Mobley is averaging 15.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 blocks per game for the Cavs while shooting 57.8 percent from the field. A first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Mobley has been one of the team’s best players on both ends of the floor since he was drafted.
Until an exact timetable is determined for Mobley, the Cavs will likely lean on Dean Wade, Georges Niang and Jarrett Allen in their frontcourt. Wade stepped up in a big way against Boston, scoring 23 points off the bench in the win.
Mobley has missed 23 games in the 2023-24 season, but the Cavs have been able to win without him, going 16-7 in those contests.
