The Cleveland Cavaliers grabbed a statement victory over Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Thursday evening, but they lost a key player in the process. Cavs forward Isaac Okoro suffered a knee injury and had to exit early, per Chris Fedor.
That being said, it doesn’t appear to be serious. Okoro is listed as questionable for Saturday’s clash with the lowly Charlotte Hornets, per Evan Dammarell. He’s expected to be a game-time decision.
Okoro is an important defensive piece for the Cavs. Yes, his statistics don’t exactly jump off the page with 6.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per night, but he is one of the team’s better defenders. Okoro has started 14 of his 21 appearances in 2023-24.
Okoro had three points in 11 minutes before departing on Thursday. Donovan Mitchell led the way against the Nuggets, showing out for 28 points while draining 6 of his 10 triples. Darius Garland also continued his impressive start, scoring 24 in 33 minutes of action.
Four different Cavs players finished with a minimum of 20 points — Evan Mobley, Garland, Mitchell, and Caris LeVert. The balance of this roster has played a huge part in their dominance, with numerous guys who can score the rock.
Cleveland sits at an NBA-best 20-3 and looks to be a legitimate contender. While it’s still early, Kenny Atkinson’s squad is definitely putting the Association on notice.
The Cavs have won three straight and have gone 7-3 in their last 10 contests. Saturday’s affair should be a relatively straightforward victory for the Eastern Conference leaders, especially since LaMelo Ball is still injured.
Cleveland is now 13-1 at home after the win over the Nuggets. They hit the road for a quick two-game swing in Charlotte and Miami before returning back to Ohio.
Stay tuned for more updates on Okoro’s status. By the sounds of it, he’s not in danger of missing much time, if any. Leaving Thursday’s contest was more of a precautionary move more than anything.
