Donovan Mitchell takes big step forward after injuries, leads Cavs past Grizzlies

CLEVELAND — He knows the media will continue to hold him accountable. But Donovan Mitchell has something to prove to himself, as well, as he attempts to come all the way back from his injuries. He took an encouraging step Wednesday with 29 points and eight assists in the Cavaliers' 110-98 victory over the vagabond Memphis Grizzlies at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Cleveland (47-33) snapped a three-game losing streak and moved into fourth place in the topsy-turvy Eastern Conference playoff race. The Cavs need one more win to avoid the play-in tournament. The regular season has boiled down to the last two games at home, starting with Indiana on Friday. "We have a great opportunity to control our destiny," Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "We just have to take advantage of it." Memphis (27-53) was missing 12 players yet held its own against the Cavs for much of the game even leading 51-48 at the half. Cleveland blitzed the Grizzlies 30-16 in the third quarter to open a 78-67 bulge. Center Jarrett Allen scored 12 of his 16 points in the quarter. He added 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. However, all eyes were on Mitchell as he tries to regain his rhythm and form. The five-time All-Star added four rebounds, three steals and one block in 34 minutes. He had been battling back from a bone bruise in his left knee when he broke his nose in the Houston game March 16, which further set him back. Mitchell didn't wear a mask for the first time since the injury but it wasn't a planned move. "To be honest, I forgot it in warmups," he said. "Then, I said, '(expletive) it.'" After shooting 9-of-17 from the field and 5-of-10 from the 3-point line, Mitchell wants to keep if off. Unfortunately, he got hit in the nose in the first half, but it wasn't serious. He said the powers to be didn't like the fact he discarded his mask, but "I'm going to try to leave it off." Power forward Evan Mobley had a fine all-around game with 12 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. Guard Darius Garland added 16 points, six rebounds and a game-high nine assists for Cleveland, while swingman Caris LeVert contributed 18 points off the bench. Guard Jake LaRavia shot a sizzling 8-of-11 from the 3-point line en route to a game-high 32 points for the Grizzlies and former Cavs forward Lamar Stevens added 16. Bickerstaff said he has confidence that Mitchell will return to form in time for the playoffs. "I have no doubt he'll get there," he said. "We know who he is and what he's capable of." Injury report The Grizzlies had a mind-boggling 12 players on their injury report. Missing were Santi Aldama (foot), Desmond Bane (back), Brandon Clarke (hand), Jaren Jackson Jr. (quad), Luke Kennard (knee), John Konchar (foot), Ja Morant (shoulder), Derrick Rose (back), Marcus Smart (finger), Yuta Watanabe (personal), Vince Williams (knee) and Ziaire Williams (back). For Cleveland, shooting guard Sam Merrill (neck) and combo guard Ty Jerome (ankle) were out. Getting by The Cavs coach admits things have been tough as of late for his team, even though he's not seen any "baggage" or "hangover" effects. Milestone The Cavs set a franchise record for 3-pointers in a season with 1,068 with their fourth shot from long range Wednesday. Their previous mark was 1,067 in 2016-17. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X. Cavaliers 110, Grizzlies 98 MEMPHIS (98): Jackson 7-21 6-6 22, Stevens 4-13 6-6 16, Jemison 2-7 0-0 4, LaRavia 10-18 4-5 32, Pippen Jr. 7-15 2-2 18, T.Allen 1-2 0-0 2, White 0-3 0-0 0, Simpson 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 33-84 18-19 98. CLEVELAND (110): E.Mobley 4-10 2-2 12, Strus 3-5 0-1 8, J.Allen 7-13 2-2 16, Garland 5-13 4-5 16, Mitchell 9-17 6-7 29, Bates 0-0 0-0 0, I.Mobley 0-2 0-0 0, Nance 0-1 0-0 0, Niang 1-3 1-2 4, Okoro 2-5 2-6 7, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, LeVert 6-13 4-4 18, Porter Jr. 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-82 21-29 110. Memphis&emsp; 29&emsp;22&emsp;16&emsp;31&emsp;—&emsp;98Cleveland&emsp;32&emsp;16&emsp;30&emsp;32&emsp;—&emsp;1103-Point Goals—Memphis 14-32 (LaRavia 8-11, Pippen Jr. 2-4, Stevens 2-5, Jackson 2-10, Simpson 0-1, White 0-1), Cleveland 15-37 (Mitchell 5-10, Strus 2-3, E.Mobley 2-4, LeVert 2-4, Garland 2-9, Niang 1-2, Okoro 1-4, J.Allen 0-1). Fouled Out—Memphis 1 (T.Allen), Cleveland None. Rebounds—Memphis 44 (Jemison 9), Cleveland 47 (E.Mobley 12). Assists—Memphis 21 (Pippen Jr. 6), Cleveland 27 (Garland 9). Total Fouls—Memphis 21, Cleveland 15. A—19,432 (19,432)