NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell was activated and placed in the starting lineup for Wednesday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Mitchell, averaging 28 points per game this season, missed the Cavaliers’ last seven games with a left knee contusion.
“His presence gives our guys a lot of confidence,” Cleveland coach JB Bickerstaff said before the announcement. “They know the gravity he carries. What defenses have to do to stop him or slow him down just makes everyone’s job easier.
“He’s one of our leaders. So guys look to him in tough situations or adverse environments to follow his lead,” Bickerstaff added.
The Cavaliers have lost four of the seven games Mitchell missed. In New Orleans, they were facing a Pelicans team that was on a four-game winning streak.
Meanwhile, Bickerstaff said Evan Mobley, who plays center and power forward, is “doing more” physically now after missing the previous four games with a sprained left ankle. Bickerstaff, however, did not set a timetable for Mobley’s return to the lineup.
“He’s doing light things on the field now, but he’s coming back,” Bickerstaff said.
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The Associated Press
