Donovan Mitchell gave Cleveland Cavaliers fans a brief scare Friday night, but the star guard looked just fine once he stepped back on the floor.
Midway through the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks, Donovan Mitchell headed to the back with a Cleveland staffer after checking out, as Hawks beat reporter Lauren L. Williams noted on X. She later added that Mitchell had checked back into the game, a quick update that settled plenty of nervous timelines in Cleveland.
Before and after the trip to the tunnel, Mitchell played like someone who did not plan on resting long. By late in the fourth quarter, he had 37 points on 13-of-23 shooting, including three 6-pointers and a perfect 5-of-5 at the line, along with four rebounds and three assists. Cleveland still trailed at that point, hanging around despite Atlanta’s efficiency.
Evan Mobley added 20 points and 13 rebounds while stretching the floor from the perimeter, and Lonzo Ball chipped in three points and four rebounds as he continues to find his rhythm in his first season with the Cavaliers. Cleveland shot 45% from the field and 42% from deep through three quarters via the ESPN Box Score, but giveaways and defensive breakdowns kept the Hawks in control.
Atlanta leaned on Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who piled up 25 points on 8-of-19 shooting with four 3-pointers, while Jalen Johnson put together a strong all-around line with 28 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists. Dyson Daniels also helped steer the offense with 10 points and nine assists.
Donovan Mitchell has already missed time this season with leg and hamstring issues, including a recent absence that drew extra scrutiny around his workload. Any walk to the tunnel is going to make fans nervous. This time, he came right back, laced them up again, and kept firing, exactly what the Cavaliers wanted to see.
