BOSTON — The Cleveland Cavaliers were without three of their top six players — led by the star guard Donovan Mitchell — for Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
Mitchell is dealing with a left calf strain; Jared Allen He is ill with a bruised rib; And Carys Levert, who replaced Mitchell in the starting lineup in Game 4 before being added to the injury report Tuesday, left with a bone bruise in his left knee. All were on the sidelines for what would be Cleveland’s final game of the season.
The Cavaliers, trailing 3-1, need a win on Wednesday to send the series back to Cleveland in Game 6 on Friday night.
Mitchell missed Cleveland’s 109-102 loss in Game 4 on Monday night with the same injury, which occurred late in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 3 win on Saturday. Mitchell started limping on the court after playing more than 22 consecutive minutes in the second half.
Mitchell wasn’t on the court when the media was allowed to shoot at TD Garden Wednesday morning, though he did come out and sit on the sidelines in workout gear before walking out with his teammates. LeVert did the same after being listed as questionable for Game 5.
Allen was nowhere to be seen at the time of the shooting. A bruised rib has kept him out for seven consecutive games. He hasn’t played since Game 4 of Cleveland’s first-round series against the Orlando Magic.
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