The Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to Detroit on Friday night without four rotation players, sidelining guards James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and Keon Ellis along with forward Dean Wade for their game against the Pistons.
Mitchell missed his second consecutive contest because of a right groin strain. Head coach Kenny Atkinson described the All-Star guard as “day-to-day” and said the club does not expect a prolonged absence. “We don’t love soft-tissue injuries, obviously,” Atkinson told reporters before tipoff, “but the feedback I’m getting is that it’s not a long-term thing.”
Harden also sat for a second straight game after fracturing his right thumb on Tuesday night. The veteran appeared at Friday’s morning shoot-around wearing a protective brace and attempted to dribble and shoot, yet still experienced significant discomfort. “The thing’s broken,” Atkinson said. “If you have a hard time dribbling and catching, that’s tough.”
Since arriving at the trade deadline, Harden has helped Cleveland to a 6-1 record, averaging 18.9 points and 8.0 assists while shooting 49 percent in seven appearances. Team officials plan to let the 36-year-old play once he can tolerate the pain, according to the coach. “There’s no tougher guy in the league,” Atkinson added. “He did say it’s better than it was two days ago.”
Ellis, acquired from Sacramento earlier this month, fractured his left index finger during Wednesday’s loss to Milwaukee. The reserve guard has appeared in nine games for Cleveland, contributing 6.4 points per outing on 51 percent shooting.
Wade is out with a sprained right ankle after recently moving into the starting lineup. Atkinson praised the roster’s resilience amid a growing injury list. “We’ve got great depth,” he said. “Looking at the most injured teams this year, we’re one of the few that’s kind of stayed afloat. That’s a fact.”
The short-handed Cavaliers entered the matchup at Little Caesars Arena seeking to extend their post-deadline surge despite the absences of four key contributors.
Source: ESPN
