The Cleveland Cavaliers are teetering. The Pacers smell blood. And now, just hours before tip-off, all eyes are on Donovan Mitchell, and not for the reasons Cavs fans were hoping.
Welcome to Game 5, folks. The kind where legacies are tested, hearts are broken, and ankles… well, let’s talk about that. The Cleveland Cavaliers are down 3-1 in the series, and the only man standing between them and elimination has suddenly been thrown into doubt. Donovan Mitchell, the heartbeat of this Cavs roster, just had an MRI, and the results are making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Right when Cleveland needed him the most, Mitchell’s status is hanging in the balance. “How bad is it?” “Will he suit up?” “Can the Cavs survive without him?” The tension is brutal, and the update is in.
The Cavaliers’ All-NBA guard and playoff lifeline is officially listed as questionable and is expected to be a game-time decision for Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers. According to Shams Charania on The Pat McAfee Show, Mitchell underwent an MRI earlier today and has been diagnosed with a re-aggravation of an ankle injury he’s been battling through the postseason.
“Pat, what I can say, I can report here now… Donovan Mitchell, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ All-NBA Star Guard. I’m told he had an MRI today,” said Shams. “He’s been diagnosed essentially with a re-aggravation of an ankle injury that he’s been dealing with. So he re-aggravated his ankle, and I’m told it’s expected that he’s going to be a game-time decision for Game 5.”
“Donovan Mitchell had an MRI today and he has been diagnosed with a reaggravation of an ankle injury..
I’m told that he’s gonna be a game-time decision for game five” ~ @ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/vzgaFl8dja
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 12, 2025
That’s a brutal update at the worst possible time for the Cavaliers, especially with Indiana already up 3-1 in the series. This is now must-win territory for Cleveland. And if ‘The Spida’, who just dropped 40 points in Game 3 like it was a walk in the park, can’t suit up at full strength? It’s not just a hill to climb. It’s Everest.
This isn’t Mitchell’s first dance with pain, either. Back in 2021, he missed critical playoff games with the Jazz due to a nasty right ankle sprain. Eerily similar to what’s now sidelining him. Since then, he’s dealt with a string of injuries: a groin strain, recurring hamstring tightness, and even a thumb sprain that disrupted his shooting rhythm last season.
While none of them were season-ending, the accumulation tells a story. Mitchell’s been powering through a wear-and-tear narrative, and this latest setback feels like the plot twist nobody wanted. Especially with the Cavs’ playoff hopes on the line.
What does Donovan Mitchell’s injury update mean for the Cavs in Game 5 vs the Pacers?
Let’s be honest here, man. If Donovan Mitchell doesn’t play, the Cavs’ Game 5 outlook turns grim. If he does play and he’s hobbled? Still grim. Mitchell has been their most consistent offensive weapon and emotional engine throughout the season. And without him operating at full tilt, Cleveland will need borderline miracles from Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and a suddenly overburdened supporting cast.
As Shams explained, “He has been spectacular during this year… Against the Pacers in Indiana the other night, Connor went to watch them on Friday. He hung 40 up there, and it was like he was playing a different sport.” That version of Mitchell is exactly what Cleveland needs in Game 5. But based on body language and current reporting? He might not even be close to that form.
“He’s going to be hobbled if he even plays, right?” McAfee asked. “That’s what it sounds like, and that’s a big piece of it.” Shams agreed, adding that Mitchell looked like he was in “extreme discomfort.”
Jan 22, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during a timeout against the Houston Rockets during the game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
Meanwhile, the Pacers are rolling and, as Charania pointed out, taking full advantage: “That’s what a lot of the playoffs is about — matchups, injuries… Do you make the right game plan adjustments? For sure. Give them their credit.” The Cavs haven’t just lost momentum, they’ve lost bodies. Between Mitchell’s ankle, Garland’s inconsistency, and frontcourt injuries, this roster has been “ravaged by injuries at the worst possible time,” as Shams put it. And while Cleveland fans are hoping for a miraculous turn of health and fortune, Pacers fans are sick of the excuses.
“Donovan hung 40 on Friday… I understand what you’re saying, and they had a lot of people playing,” McAfee added. “I mean, just don’t disrespect the f—— Pacers. I’m sick of it.” It’s a fair point, really. Indiana has shown up. But without a healthy Donovan Mitchell, Game 5 could be the final chapter in Cleveland’s 2025 playoff run. All eyes are now on the pregame warmups, the tape jobs, and that final decision before tipoff.
Because if Mitch can’t go or can’t be the 40-point killer Cleveland needs him to be, the Pacers might not just close this out. They might bury them. If he plays, expect him to be limited. If he doesn’t? The Cavs will need the game of the season from Garland, Mobley, and everyone else in wine and gold. Because no Mitchell in a win-or-go-home Game 5? That’s not just bad news, then. That’s just might be a piece of season-ending news.
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