The Cleveland Cavaliers return home tonight after a five-game road trip to face the Los Angeles Clippers. It’s their second match-up of the season, with the first one ending in defeat for the Clippers on January 29th, with 118-108. Their victory was on the back of Donovan Mitchell scoring 28 points, and 12 assists in the game. However, for that reason, a sweep looks unlikely for the Cavs.

According to a report on X, Mitchell will not be playing the match-up with LA. “Donovan Mitchell (injury management) listed out Sunday,” states the update.

Both the Clippers and the Cavaliers are a lock for the playoffs for their respective conferences. The Cavaliers are currently the third seed in the east, trailing just 1 win and two losses behind the Milwaukee Bucks. Their record in the last 1o games is 7 wins and three losses. Currently, in Mitchell’s absence, their positive win ratio can be attributed to their defensive acumen rating 7th in the league overall, with 7.3 steals and 4.3 blocks a night.

However, the Cavs have had to adjust to playing without Mitchell due to his inconsistent appearances this season. Darius Garland appears to be a logical replacement for Spida, as he averages 19.7 points, 6.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and one steal in the 20 games without him. However, in the 34 games they’ve played together, his stats have slightly decreased to 16.9 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.4 rebounds.

Interestingly, the Cavaliers hold a 9-11 record when Garland plays without Mitchell, compared to a 20-14 record when they’re both on the court.

What happened to Donovan Mitchell?

Spida initially went through a nasal fracture in Cavs defeat to the Houston Rockets on March 16. Mitchell had a bloody nose in the second half, due to which he sat out most of the fourth quarter on the sidelines. As a consequence, he sat out the game against the Indiana Pacers, but Cleveland still managed to win the game 108-103. However, the All-Star had undergone surgery to re-align the fracture.

Other than that, even knee issues have been plaguing Mitchell since the All-star which led to him missing seven straight games before the nasal fracture. Spida has appeared in just six of their previous 19 games and has experienced a significant decline in performance, averaging only 14.3 points, five assists, and three rebounds. The Cavaliers have posted a 2-4 record in the games in which the guard has played since returning from his knee injury.

Read More: Donovan Mitchell Injury Update: Heartbreaking Confession on Knee Discomfort May Jeopardise Cavs Star’s Availability vs Pacers