CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers' magic number to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference stands at one. They need to either win one more game to do so, or they need the Boston Celtics to lose one more. Their next chance to do so is Tuesday as they host the Chicago Bulls, but they'll now face an added challenge.
On Monday, Cavs star guard Donovan Mitchell was listed as out for Tuesday's game on the NBA Injury Report.
Mitchell sustained what appeared to be a serious ankle injury on the court during Sunday's game against the Sacramento Kings. He went into the locker room for evaluation but returned a short time later. After spending some time loosening up on the stationary bike, Mitchell returned to finish the game.
Mitchell ended the night with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists.
When asked postgame about his ankle, Mitchell said he stepped on a Kings' player's foot, which caused the injury, playing off its severity.
"Never been better," he said, smirking when asked if he was sore. When asked if he was considering sitting out the next game out he said, "Just going to let tomorrow be tomorrow and go from there."
In the postgame interviews, Mitchell, disappointed alongside the rest of his team with the 120-113 loss to the Kings, said they were moving forward with the goal of clinching the first seed on Tuesday.
"Get it on Tuesday. How do you respond? It's equivalent to a playoff loss at the crib. How do you respond? We play in a day-and-a-half, so."
Now officially ruled out with a left ankle sprain, the Cavs will have to pursue that goal without their star guard. The good news for the Cavs is that they got back their Sixth Man of the Year candidate, Ty Jerome, to help fill the void.
Jerome returned to game action on Sunday for the first time in five contests. He had been dealing with a knee injury. In his return Sunday, Jerome played 23 minutes, scoring 20 points, four rebounds and two assists.
The Cavs and Bulls tip off at 7 p.m. Tuesday inside Rocket Arena.
During Sunday's game, Mitchell and the Cavs honored a Cleveland teen who rescued a family from a house fire. Watch below:
RELATED: Donovan Mitchell brings Cleveland teen who rescued family from house fire to game
