CLEVELAND — Cavaliers rookie forward Evan Mobley could be sidelined for a month with a sprained right elbow suffered Monday night in a loss to Boston.
The No. 3 pick in this year’s draft got hurt when his arm got tied up while battling Celtics center Enes Kanter under the basket. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff called the injury “a freak thing” because it happened on a common play.
The Cavs said an MRI taken Tuesday confirmed the original diagnosis of a sprain. Mobley will begin treatment and rehab, and the team estimates his return to the court in “approximately 2-4 weeks.”
Mobley’s loss is a major blow to the Cavs as he has helped them get off to a surprisingly strong start at 9-6. The 20-year-old is averaging 14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
The Cavs have been dealing with an assortment of injuries lately.
Leading scorer Collin Sexton remains sidelined with a meniscus tear in his left knee. The Cavs have not updated his status in a week.
Also, center Jarrett Allen missed Monday’s game with an illness and will not make the trip to play at Brooklyn on Wednesday.
Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen recently cleared the NBA’s health protocols and are working on their conditioning before playing. Bickerstaff said it’s possible Love could return against the Nets.
After Mobley got hurt, the Cavs finished with just nine players against the Celtics.