Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell injured, MRI scheduled Monday as Game 5 status remains uncertain

The Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves in serious trouble, both on the scoreboard and on the injury report, following a lopsided 129-109 defeat to the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The loss pushed the Cavs into a 3-1 hole, but with that, the team came at a cost of losing their top performer, Donovan Mitchell, to a left ankle injury that forced him to sit out the entire second half.Donovan Mitchell’s injury could not have come at a worse time. After averaging an incredible 41.3 points per game through the first three games of the series, his scoring punch was Cleveland’s only consistent weapon. But during the final minutes of the first half on Sunday, the 28-year-old appeared visibly uncomfortable. He was seen gingerly walking into the locker room at halftime due to discomfort in his left ankle. Despite attempting some warm-up shots, he did not return to the floor or even the bench for the second half. The Cavaliers later confirmed he had suffered a left ankle injury.Postgame, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson offered no clarity, saying only that Mitchell would undergo an MRI on Monday and that he had "no idea" about his availability for Game 5. The uncertainty hanging over Mitchell’s status has left fans and analysts speculating about whether Cleveland has enough left in the tank to mount a comeback without him.It was a brutal night overall for the Cavaliers. They were down 80-39 at halftime — a deficit that tied the record for the largest halftime gap in NBA playoff history. The Pacers executed a dominant performance from start to finish, shooting 52.7% from the field and scoring 35 points off 22 Cleveland turnovers. To make matters worse, tension boiled over early in the game. Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin was ejected after throwing a punch to the chest of Cavs swingman De’Andre Hunter, who retaliated by shoving Mathurin to the ground. That skirmish may have been Cleveland’s only sign of fight in an otherwise lethargic showing.Mitchell finished with just 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting before exiting. Darius Garland led the Cavs with 21 points and six assists, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Ty Jerome took over for Mitchell in the second half, but Cleveland never got close, trailing by as many as 44.Now, if Mitchell stays out, the Cavaliers must win three straight games without him, including one on the road in Indiana, just to advance.Also Read: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers (05/11): Box score, player stats, game summary and moreMitchell’s health is uncertain, and with a roster already plagued by other injuries, the Cavs' season is hanging by a thread. As Atkinson bluntly put it after the loss, it was complete domination.