Utah Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell is receiving treatment for bi-lateral quadriceps contusions, the team said Tuesday, and an official determination on his availability for the club's must-win Game 6 against the Dallas Mavericks will be made tomorrow.
Mitchell suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Monday's 102-77 loss to Dallas. After attempting a leaping pass in traffic, he grabbed his left leg upon landing, sparking fears that he had sustained a hamstring injury.
The three-time all-star downplayed the apparent severity of what happened following the game, telling reporters "I'll be fine" despite the team saying he would undergo an MRI. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, that MRI was negative and there is optimism Mitchell will play in Game 6 on Thursday.
“We’ll see how I feel, but I’m a competitor,” Mitchell said Monday.
Though it is one of the more common injuries an athlete can sustain in sports where contact occurs, deep quadriceps contusions can be debilitating. Without proper treatment, they can result in broken blood vessels and bleeding in the area, as well as crushed muscle tissue that leads to hip and knee dysfunction.
Averaging 30 points in the first four games of the series, Mitchell is a linchpin in the Jazz's offence and his absence would present a devastating blow to Utah's bid to stave off elimination and force a Game 7 at home.
