Is Donovan Mitchell playing against the Knicks? Latest injury update on Cavaliers' star ahead of matchup (April 23, 2023)

Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a lowly offensive performance as the Knicks held them to 79 points in Game 3. The team struggled with shooting the ball with 38.8% efficiency, including 21.2% from 3-point range.

For Game 4, Donovan Mitchell will be available to play as he looks to bounce back from a subpar Game 3 performance, wherein, he only had 22 points on 9-19 shooting, including 2-8 from 3-point range and six sloppy turnovers.

Mitchell is averaging 25.7 points on 48.3% shooting, including 34.5% from 3-point range, 8.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals so far in this first-round series.

In a must-win Game 4 on the road, Donovan Mitchell, being the main All-Star on the team, needs to lead his team to a pivotal victory before heading back to Cleveland.

Donovan Mitchell on a disappointing Game 3 loss

Donovan Mitchell's Cavaliers failed to silence the home crowd at Madison Square Garden as their New York Knicks kept hounding them at the defensive end, forcing tough shots and costly turnovers.

After the rough loss, Mitchell spoke about the challenge of playing on the road during the playoffs.

"It was rough,” Mitchell said. “Rough, scrappy game, and shots weren’t falling. We shot like crap. This is a different environment. I think we just kind of were a little too geeked up."

Cavaliers' coach J.B. Bickerstaff also followed up on Mitchell's comments regarding the effect the environment had on the team.

"I think, early on, it was the nerves," Bickerstaff said. "As the game progressed, I think it was more about trust than anything. We stopped trusting and doing the right thing and just tried to do a lot on our own. Once that happens, it starts to leak into our defense."

Mitchell's fellow scoring partner Darius Garland, who had an explosive 32-point performance in Game 2, struggled all game to find any rhythm with his shotmaking as he only had 10 points on 4-21 shooting, including 1-7 from 3-point range and three sloppy turnovers.

The Cavaliers' front-court tandem between Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen combined for only 16 points as they failed to provide a defensive presence to hold off the opposing home team.

In a must-win Game 4 for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they hope to dodge a 1-3 hole in the first-round, the offensive production from the two stars in Mitchell and Garland must lead the way for the whole team, along with Mobley and Allen making a statement at the defensive end of the matchup.