Donovan Mitchell was nowhere to be found on Friday as the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a 136-125 loss to the Chicago Bulls. With their star player out of action, the Cavs struggled to keep up with the Bulls, resulting in another home loss for Cleveland.
Darius Garland did all he could for the shorthanded Cavs, dropping a game-high 35 points on 13-of-27 shooting, to go along with two rebounds, eight assists, a steal and six triples in 33 minutes of action. It still wasn’t enough to lift Cleveland.
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Friday’s defeat was the Cavs’ third straight loss following Wednesday’s 127-111 defeat against the Bulls. Cleveland fell to 15-14 on Friday and has dropped to seventh in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during game three of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images.© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Mitchell entered Friday’s game with a questionable tag due to illness. The Cavs did not make their final decision on his status until close to tip-off. Unfortunately for Mitchell, he could not shake off his illness in time for the Bulls game.
As it turns out, the Cavs had to send Mitchell home before the contest. Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson provided a troubling update before the game, revealing that Mitchell is “really sick,” per Spencer Davies of ClutchPoints. Atkinson added that the virus is going around, resulting in Craig Porter Jr. also sitting out against Chicago after showing symptoms earlier in the day.
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This unfortunate development has now cast doubt on Mitchell’s status for Cleveland’s next game. The silver lining, however, is that they get two days off before they return to action. It’s going to be a back-to-back set for the Cavs on Monday and Tuesday, though, as they face the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans at home, respectively.
Cleveland should provide more updates on Mitchell in the coming days, but considering his condition on Friday, it would not be a surprise if he ends up missing more time due to this concerning illness.
Related: Donovan Mitchell Assigns Blame After Embarrassing Cavaliers Loss
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.