Donovan Mitchell returns from 7-game absence: Cleveland Cavaliers dominate New Orleans Pelicans

Donovan Mitchell missed the last 7 games due to a knee injury, but he returned tonight and helped the Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 116-95 at Smoothie King Center.

The 5-time All-Star has been having a dominant season for the Cavs, averaging 28.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists while leading them to a top 3 seed in the East. However, the 27-year-old has missed too many games due to injury and will now not be able to qualify for any awards because of the new 65-game rule. This is unfortunate for Spida as he’s had an incredible season but at the end of the day he would prefer a championship over an individual award.

In his return, Mitchell scored 14 points and hit 4 three pointers. Darius Garland led the team in scoring with 27 points to go with 6 rebounds, 11 assists, and 6 triples. Jarrett Allen recorded 17 points and 10 boards while Georges Niang contributed 16 points and 4 threes.

Zion Williamson scored a game-high 33 points with 9 rebounds on 62% shooting. Brandon Ingram finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists while Trey Murphy III had 11 points off the bench. CJ McCollum was quiet in this game, recording just 8 points on 30% shooting.

Cleveland improves to 42-24 with this win and now sit at the 2 seed in the East. They are going back and forth with the Bucks for the 2nd spot and whoever earns it will have the luxury of hosting a playoff series in both the first and second round. The Cavs are 5-5 over their last 10 games and will look to start a winning streak on Saturday when they face off against the Houston Rockets.

New Orleans drops to 39-26 with this loss and remain the 5th seed in the West. They are 2.5 games behind the Clips for the 4th spot so losing this game is a tough blow for them. The Pelicans are 6-4 over their last 10 games and will attempt to bounce back against the previously mentioned Los Angeles Clippers.