Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on Monday to treat a left knee bone bruise that caused him to miss Cleveland’s past two games against Detroit and New York, the team announced (Twitter link).
Mitchell will be listed as out for the Cavs’ next three games, on March 5 against Boston, on March 6 at Atlanta, and March 8 versus Minnesota, according to the release.
His status will be reevaluated over the weekend and will be updated as appropriate.
Mitchell is an integral part of a strong Cavaliers team that ranks third in the Eastern Conference at 39-21. He’s averaging 28.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 47.2% from the floor and 37.1% from three.
The All-Star guard being out for games against the top-ranked teams in the East (Boston) and West (Minnesota) obviously isn’t ideal for a club that’s just a half-game behind Milwaukee for second in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs are 3.5 games ahead of the fourth-seeded Knicks.
It’s also worth noting that Mitchell’s injury absence means he’s in danger of falling short of the 65-game minimum to qualify for postseason awards. He has missed 13 games so far this season — that number will increase to at least 16 in the coming days. Eighteen missed contests would render him ineligible for All-NBA consideration.