The Cleveland Cavaliers, one of the hottest teams in the NBA as of late, fell victim to the Orlando Magic on Thursday night in their first game out of the All-Star break. Although they lost by seven points, the Cavs had to play this game without All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, who has been battling an illness.

In the star's absence, Cleveland leaned on their depth to try and pick up the scoring load. On Friday night, the Cavs will once again be in action as they will hit the road to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. This has led many to ask the question: Is Donovan Mitchell playing vs. the 76ers on Friday night?

Donovan Mitchell's injury status vs. 76ers

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts after guard Darius Garland (not pictured) missed a game winning basket during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Mitchell was questionable all day on Thursday, leading up to the Cavs matchup with the Magic. Ultimately, the team gave him the day off due to an illness he has been dealing with since All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. Once again, Mitchell has landed on the team's injury report as questionable due to this ailment.

Without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley in the middle of the season, many thought that the Cavaliers were going to fall apart. However, Mitchell has held things together for Cleveland all year long and has been having an MVP-like season. In a total of 44 games this year, Mitchell has averaged 28.4 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game, all of which are the best of his career.

The Cavs currently find themselves 36-18 on the season following Thursday's loss, two full games in front of the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Should Mitchell be unable to play on Friday night against the 76ers, more responsibilities will fall on the shoulders of Garland, who recorded 18 points and 10 assists against Orlando. Caris LeVert and Max Strus would also see their offensive workload increase if Mitchell isn't able to play.

So when it comes to the question of whether Donovan Mitchell is playing vs. the 76ers, the answer will be given by the Cavs later on in the day. It is likely that Mitchell will once again be a game-time decision based on how he feels in the evening.