After a 114-98 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley has been diagnosed with a left calf strain that will be re-evaluated in 1-3 weeks, according to senior NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Mobley finished the game with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 35 minutes. It was the Cavs’ fourth consecutive victory and their sixth in the last seven games. Now, Cleveland must navigate through a crucial stretch without their young All-Star and reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
On Monday night, along with the team’s 28th win of the season, Mobley also entered the Cavs record books. Mobley blocked the 500th shot of his career against the Magic, becoming only the fifth player in Cavaliers history to reach that milestone. He also became the youngest player to reach that number in franchise history.
Former Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas holds the franchise record with 1,269 blocks during his 12 seasons in Cleveland. Mobley reached 500 in blocks in less than five full NBA seasons. His career average for blocks per game already equals Ilgauskas’s at 1.6. Barring multiple lengthy stints on the injured list, that record will likely belong to Mobley should he remain in Cleveland for the majority of his career.
The Cavs are currently sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, which is much different than the team’s experience last season. Last season, the Cavs were near the top of the conference for much of the year, finishing 64-18 and capturing the No. 1 seed in the east. We’re just past the halfway point this season (in terms of games played), and Cleveland already has more losses than all of last year, at 28-20.
So, even a couple of weeks without one of their best players and best defender could prove detrimental to their playoff hopes. In 42 games this season, Mobley is averaging 17.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks per game.
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