AP Photo/Matt Slocum
The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a major blow to their frontcourt on Sunday as center Jarrett Allen reportedly suffered a fractured finger against the Toronto Raptors.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Allen also got kneed in the quad, but the broken finger will require further evaluation and sideline him indefinitely.
Allen’s injury occurred early in Sunday’s contest, as he was limited to six points, two rebounds and two blocks in 10 minutes of playing time. Cleveland went on to win the game 104-96 behind Lauri Markkanen’s 22 points and 12 rebounds and rookie Evan Mobley’s 20-point, 17-rebound performance.
Allen had been enjoying the best season of his five-year career. Entering Sunday, he was averaging career-highs of 16.3 points and 10.9 rebounds while shooting 67.7 percent from the field. The 23-year-old was named to his first All-Star Game this year as an injury replacement for James Harden.
The Cavaliers improved to 37-27 with Sunday’s win and remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. They extended their lead over the seventh-place Raptors to three games, giving them a solid chance of avoiding the play-in tournament with 18 games left in the season.
While Allen is out, Mobley will have even more of an opportunity to be Cleveland’s top option in the frontcourt. The USC product is already a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year with averages of 14.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Veteran forward Kevin Love is likely to be inserted into the starting lineup.
The Cavaliers will visit the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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