Sunday night was a tough one for the Cleveland Cavaliers. In addition to suffering their fourth loss of the season with a 122-113 defeat to the Miami Heat, they also lost Evan Mobley early in the game due to a left ankle injury. Mobley was sidelined for the entire second half, finishing with just four points, three rebounds, and one steal in 12 minutes of play.
It’s unclear exactly when Mobley injured his ankle, but Jackson Flickinger of Fear The Sword reports that the injury occurred after Mobley grabbed a defensive rebound with 9:19 left in the second quarter. Despite the injury, Mobley didn’t appear visibly hurt and wasn’t limping. In fact, he stayed in the game until 7:44 of the quarter before leaving for the rest of the night.
Fortunately, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson doesn’t believe the injury is serious. “I don’t know. It’s just, you know, a sprain. I didn’t talk to the training staff, but I don’t think it’s a bad one,” Atkinson said.
Ankle injury momentarily halts Evan Mobley’s breakout campaign for the Cavs
Evan Mobley has been a standout player for the Cavs this season, making his five-year, $224 million extension look well-deserved. Heading into Sunday night’s game against the Heat, Mobley was averaging 18.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, all while posting a career-high true shooting percentage. This performance was highlighted by a career-best 41-point game against the Charlotte Hornets on December 7.
However, Mobley has had his hot streaks interrupted by injuries in the past, including knee and ankle issues last season. His early exit in the Cavs’ loss to the Heat raised some concern. Despite not showing a visible limp, Atkinson shared that he and Mobley had discussed the injury, with Mobley expressing that he would continue playing as long as the pain didn’t worsen. After noticing Mobley limping during and after plays, Atkinson decided to err on the side of caution.
“We had some discussion. He said, ‘I’m gonna try it. If it’s still bothering me I’m gonna stop,’ which is good. I saw him limping after it happened and then limping on successive plays. You know, that’s a tough kid. [The injury is] unfortunate for us,” Atkinson said.
