Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell certainly wasn’t the reason his team lost in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday, but his performance left former Cavs big man Channing Frye feeling like the guard is nursing an injury.
“I think Donovan Mitchell gotta be hurt,” Frye said. “I don’t see that burst. Something gotta be up with his legs.”
Mitchell finished Game 1 with 29 points, five rebounds, three assists, six steals and one block, but he wasn’t heard from a whole lot down the stretch of the game as the Cavs let the Knicks steal one in the series opener.
It’s certainly worth noting that Mitchell was seen limping, so Frye’s theory may not be very far-fetched.
Donovan Mitchell appeared to tweak something in his leg in the fourth quarter and he was uninvolved the rest of the way. Looked to be limping back to the locker room.
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) May 20, 2026
Donovan Mitchell looks to have gotten injured at the end of the 4th quarter, he was limping back up the court and later back to the locker room after overtime pic.twitter.com/7q56rJvYuX
— P1 /human (@stolgic) May 20, 2026
It’s often said that nobody is at 100 percent health at this stage of an NBA season, but in Mitchell’s case, the hope has to be that he’s as close to 100 percent as possible. The Cavs are going to need him at his very best if they want a chance to get back into the series against the Knicks after blowing a golden opportunity in Game 1.
Cleveland had a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter on Tuesday but couldn’t keep it, with New York ultimately forcing overtime and pulling away easily in the extra period. The loss has led to many people throwing in the towel on the Cavs, but Mitchell is likely motivated to prove them wrong.
In the 2026 NBA Playoffs, the perennial All-Star hasn’t missed a game and has averaged 25.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest. He has also checked a major box this postseason by helping the Cavs reach the conference finals for the first time during his tenure, but the ultimate goal for Cleveland is to make the NBA Finals and challenge for a championship.
Mitchell and company will have a chance to even the series against New York on Thursday in Game 2. Despite how Game 1 ended, Cleveland can seize the momentum in Game 2 by coming out on top and swinging home-court advantage in its favor.
