Donovan Mitchell’s ankle will be part of the conversation when the Cleveland Cavaliers meet the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night, but the All-Star guard says it should not be. Mitchell twisted his ankle late in Cleveland’s win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, then sat out the next game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Asked about the injury, he brushed it off, saying his ankle was fine and that it was not even worth asking him about.
The Cavaliers have no reason to rush him. They already have home-court advantage secured and are in the playoffs, with their postseason start set for April 18. Mitchell still leads Cleveland with 27.8 points per game while shooting 48% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc in 69 games, which is why any ailment gets attention even if he insists there is no issue.
Cleveland’s timing is different from Atlanta’s. The Hawks are still fighting for position in the Eastern Conference and entered the game holding a 1.5-game lead over the Raptors, with the fifth through tenth spots separated by only three and a half games. That pressure gives every remaining possession weight, and it is one reason this stretch against the Hawks matters more for Atlanta than it does for the Cavaliers.
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That gap in urgency also shaped how the Cavaliers have handled their injuries. Dean Wade and Jaylon Tyson were upgraded to questionable after missing the last seven and nine games, respectively, and coach Kenny Atkinson said the extra minutes have helped keep the roster ready. “One of the big positives about having to play so many guys because of our injuries is they’re all ready,” Atkinson said. He added that it matters because “it always comes up in the playoffs, so we’re going to need some of them.”
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The teams meet again Friday, which gives both sides another look at the same matchup in a week when Cleveland is thinking about health and Atlanta is thinking about seeding. Mitchell’s ankle may not define the Cavaliers’ immediate goals, but the way they manage it over these two games could say a lot about how carefully they plan to reach April 18.
