Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell Out vs. Nuggets

The Cavaliers will begin their swing through the Western Conference without their leading scorer, as star guard Donovan Mitchell will sit out to rest, per the league’s official injury report.

Mitchell, of course, erupted for 71 points in a win over the Bulls on Monday. He scored 20 in a hard-fought win over the Suns on Wednesday, admitting that he seemed to be lacking in the energy department.

“I really didn’t have my legs tonight,” he told reporters. “I was trying to will myself just to be solid.”

Mitchell, 26, has been everything the Cavs hoped and more in his first half-season with the franchise, averaging a career-high 29.0 points and 4.9 assists, shooting 49 percent from the floor in 35 games.

Along with that, he had proved to be an invaluable teammate and positive presence in the locker room and on the sideline.

Meanwhile, point guard Darius Garland is listed as questionable for Friday’s game. He has missed each of the last two with a sprained thumb — though he did take part in shootaround ahead of Wednesday’s win. Should Garland play vs. the Nuggets, you can expect him to do so with a bandaged hand.

After the Nuggets, the Cavs will travel to face the Suns on Sunday, before visiting the Jazz — Mitchell’s former team — on Tuesday. They’ll wrap up their swing with visits to the Trail Blazers and Timberwolves.

The possibility exists that point guard Ricky Rubio could make his debut during the Western trip, sources told Hoops Wire.

Cleveland (25-14) currently sits in third place in the Eastern Conference and aims to return to the playoffs without LeBron James for the first time since the late 1990s.

#Cavs Donovan Mitchell (rest) is listed OUT tomorrow night against Denver, along with Ricky Rubio, Dean Wade and Dylan Windler. Darius Garland (thumb) is QUESTIONABLE.

— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) January 6, 2023