Cavs injury report grows ahead of Pistons matchup

The Cavaliers were riding high Tuesday night.

Beat the Knicks. Looked connected. Sounded confident. Felt like something was clicking.

Two days later, the injury report reads like a novel.

The Cavs could be without multiple guards Friday on the road against the Pistons — and maybe more.

Donovan Mitchell is out again with a groin strain. That’s the one that jumps off the page. It’s late February. He’s battled this time-of-year wear and tear before. The Cavs need him right in April, not heroic in March. If a few games off is required, so be it.

James Harden is officially questionable with the non-shooting thumb fracture. For the record, he hates sitting. For the record, he’s expected to try to play through it.

Then it gets crowded.

Dean Wade, Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis are all listed as questionable. Wade and Schroder with ankle sprains. Ellis with a broken finger. Max Strus remains out with the foot.

That’s a lot of rotation minutes potentially missing against a Detroit team that leads the Eastern Conference.

The Cavs showed grit in Milwaukee without Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Harden. But depth only stretches so far.

If nothing else, Friday becomes another test of how sturdy this group really is when things get uncomfortable.

And lately, things have gotten uncomfortable fast.