Cavs’ Mitchell out with broken nose
CLEVELAND — Cavaliers All-star guard Donovan Mitchell could miss at least another week after breaking his nose in Cleveland's loss at Houston last weekend.
Mitchell, who has also been dealing with a bruised left knee, got hurt in Saturday's game against the Rockets when teammate Tristan Thompson accidentally bashed him while going after a loose ball.
The Cavs said Tuesday that Mitchell underwent a procedure at the Cleveland Clinic to realign his nose. He'll be reevaluated “in approximately one week.”
Mitchell sat out Monday night's win at Indiana due to the nose and to rest his left knee, which has kept him out of at least seven games since the All-star break. The Cavs listed him as out with the nasal issue against the Pacers, but Mitchell said Saturday he needed time to get his knee right.
The 27-year-old received a platelet-rich plasma injection on March 4, when the Cavs said he would be out for their next three games. While he made some progress, Mitchell expressed frustration at not having his usual burst.
Mitchell is averaging 27.4 points, 6.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 49 games in his second season with Cleveland.
The Cavs have been saddled with injuries all season with Mitchell and starters Evan Mobley (ankle) and Max Strus
(knee) all missing time lately.
Cleveland (43-25) has managed to stay among the Eastern Conference's top teams despite the rash of injuries and enters Wednesday's home game against Miami trailing Milwaukee by one game for the No. 2 spot.
Anunoby’s elbow injury flares up
New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby left the team on its Western road trip after his surgically repaired right elbow flared up.
Coach Tom Thibodeau said Monday before New York played the Golden State Warriors that Anunoby flew home after playing 33 minutes in a win at Sacramento on Saturday night in his third game back following surgery.
Thibodeau said an MRI came back clean and that Anunoby is day to day. Thibodeau said Anunoby is unlikely to rejoin the team for the final game of a fourgame
trip on Thursday at Denver.
Anunoby missed 18 games earlier because of the injury before returning last week against Philadelphia. He played three games before the injury “flared up” again, according to Thibodeau.
Odds and ends
Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter left Monday night's game against Memphis with a left shoulder injury and was ruled out for the rest of the game. Huerter was attempting a layup 1:51 into the first quarter when Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane made contact with his left arm, sending him to the ground. Bane was called for a common foul. Huerter briefly remained on the floor before heading to the locker room while cradling his arm.
… Detroit Pistons guard Evan Fournier has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for kicking the ball into the stands. NBA executive vice president for basketball operations
Joe Dumars, himself a former Pistons guard, announced the punishment on Monday. Detroit lost 104-101 to Miami on Saturday on Bam Adebayo's
buzzer-beating 3-pointer. The 31-year-old Fournier then punted the game ball into the stands at Little Caesars Arena.