Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was in the starting lineup for Cleveland's must-win Game 5 of its second-round series against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday despite dealing with a sprained left ankle.
But Cavs guard Sam Merrill did not play because of a neck strain.
The No. 4-seeded Pacers, up in the series 3-1, can close it out Tuesday night in Cleveland, where they've already won twice, and advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year.
Mitchell, who had been listed as questionable, came out for his usual pregame shooting routine less than an hour before tipoff. Coach Kenny Atkinson said during his pregame availability that the All-Star guard had participated in Tuesday morning's shootaround.
"We know the situation we're in. I can't give you a definitive, but my hope is that he plays," Atkinson said.
Mitchell provided an early clue about his status three hours before the game when he took to X with the Cavaliers' hashtag theme of #LetEmKnow.
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) May 13, 2025
He did not play the second half of the Cavaliers' loss at Indiana on Sunday after he appeared to experience pain with the ankle while warming up during halftime.
Mitchell first suffered the injury on April 6 during the second half against the Sacramento Kings. He stepped on the foot of Sacramento's Keon Ellis near midcourt before losing his balance and rolling his left ankle.
Mitchell sat out the last four games of the regular season because of the injury. He is averaging 28.9 points during the playoffs, including five games with at least 30 points.
Merrill, who averaged 7.2 points off the bench this season, scored 14 points against the Pacers in Game 2.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
