Is Donovan Mitchell playing tonight? Latest injury update for 76ers vs. Cavs

After a six-game absence due to a nasal fracture, Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell appears to be on the verge of his highly anticipated return to the lineup, potentially suiting up as soon as Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Previous reporting earlier this week has told us that Mitchell should play on Friday night. But the NBA’s official injury report says otherwise, labeling him questionable ahead of the late-season meeting at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, because of his surgically repaired nose.

Will Mitchell take the floor in what feels like a must-win game for the Cavs with how tight the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff picture is? The latest update suggests that should be the case, barring any setbacks.

Is Donovan Mitchell playing tonight? Latest injury update

Mitchell participated in Cleveland’s morning shootaround on Friday, per Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com, pointing out that the dynamic combo guard was wearing a protective facial mask.

Despite the mask, this is an encouraging sign regarding the potential availability of Mitchell versus the Sixers. But if he happens to be out again, a return seems to be on the horizon, and he will be back sooner than later.

Whether Mitchell would be under a minute restriction if he plays on Friday remains unclear. But considering he sat out five of the previous seven contests before this most recent string of missed games because a lingering knee issue required receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection on Mar. 4, it would not be shocking to see the Cavs ease their franchise player into action.

Sitting at 44-29 and in fourth place in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, where the second-place Milwaukee Bucks lead the fifth-seeded Orlando Magic by only 3.5 games, a Mitchell return would be timely for the Cavs.

No longer eligible for All-NBA honors because of the new 65-game rule of the new collective bargaining agreement, Mitchell has played well enough this season to be in the discussion if he met the credentials.

Mitchell has averaged 27.4 points, a career-high 6.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 37.3 percent from three on 9.1 attempts.