According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Utah Jazz will be without All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell for "several" games before he is cleared to return from the right ankle injury he suffered on Friday.
MRI on right ankle sprain of Utah Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell revealed no structural damage, sources tell ESPN. He’s expected to miss several games before he’s cleared to return.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 17, 2021
Mitchell's immediate X-Rays came back negative and the MRI he received later Friday night revealed no structural damage – both of which are positives given how severe the injury looked at first glance.
In the third quarter, Mitchell was defending a transition full-court pass from Pacers guard Edmond Sumner when the two players collided in an awkward fashion. When Mitchell tried to land from the in-air collision, he appeared to twist his ankle, forcing the superstar to the locker room.
Mitchell was not able to walk to the locker room under his own power, as his teammates assisted him to his destination. He left the game with 22 points, four rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes of action, but Utah would go on to come back and win the game.
While "several" games does not indicate a clear timetable for Mitchell's return, it's worth noting the Jazz have 16 games remaining in the season. Holding the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by a margin of 1.5 games with a league-best record of 42-14, it's safe to assume they will err on the side of caution with their franchise player.
Mitchell has been unstoppable since the All-Star break, averaging 30.0 points per game, trailing only Stephen Curry in scoring among all NBA players.
The 24-year-old is enjoying the best season of his career, averaging 26.5 points, 5.3 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.
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