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Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley is expected to miss “an extended period of time” after suffering a sprained ankle in Tuesday’s win over the Boston Celtics.
Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported that Mobley is suffering from “significant swelling” and has no timetable for returning. Mobley twisted his ankle after dunking the ball in the third quarter of the 105-104 victory.
The Cavs are already dealing with the absences of Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus. Mitchell received a platelet-rich plasma injection into his left knee Monday and has been out of the lineup since Feb. 28. Strus suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s loss to the New York Knicks and has no firm timetable for a return.
The injuries couldn’t have come at a worse time for Cleveland, which was the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs are now 0.5 games behind the surging Milwaukee Bucks.
Cleveland can probably withstand a slight dip in performance given its 4.5-game lead over a group of five teams with 35 or 36 wins.
However, Mobley will leave the Cavs without a defensive pillar in the middle of the paint. Mobley is averaging 15.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game this season while providing outstanding work inside and versatility to handle opposing ball handlers on the perimeter.
Georges Niang or Dean Wade will likely enter the lineup to provide floor spacing in Mobley’s absence.
