The Cleveland Cavaliers engaged in a steep uphill battle against the Houston Rockets. The Rockets led the Cavs by 20 points midway through the fourth quarter. However, Donovan Mitchell exited the game after suffering a brutal nose injury from an accidental hit from Tristan Thompson.

Donovan Mitchell gets nose injury tended to amid intense Cavs-Rockets matchup

Mitchell and Thompson soared for a loose rebound that went into the hands of Rockets players. However, Thompson flared his elbows on the way down and inadvertently hit Mitchell in the nose, as shown in a video taken by Bally Sports Cleveland:

Hopefully, Mitchell is okay and will not miss extended time from the injury. The 27-year-old has been a vital piece to Cleveland’s late-season push.

Mitchell averages 27.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.8 steals through 48 games played. His three-level scoring and all-around athleticism make him a nightmare for opposing defenses. He has helped the Cavs to a third-place Eastern Conference standing. Of course, he has not done it alone.

Cleveland faced numerous injury woes in the middle of the season which prompted their role-players and other stars to step up. Jarrett Allen has shined brightly in his role as starting center throughout the team’s adversity.

Allen averages a commendable 16.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Fellow big man Evan Mobley has contributed on both sides of the ball as well. Meanwhile, Tristan Thompson is trying to do all he can to maintain a steady paint presence off the bench.

Despite the bright pieces on the roster, the Cavs went cold against Houston on Saturday afternoon.

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Cavs lose a step against Houston 

The Rockets built a commanding lead on the Cavs that saw the game get out of reach. Houston won the cross-conference matchup 117-103 off standout performances from Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet.

Cleveland fell despite having seven players score in the double digits. Nevertheless, the team will bounce back amid its quest to secure a high Eastern Conference seed for the 2024 NBA Playoffs.