Is Cavs’ Jarrett Allen playing in Game 1 vs. Celtics? Latest injury update

On Tuesday evening, Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers will hit the road to take on the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal round. The Cavs got to this point by dispatching the Orlando Magic in Round One, and Mitchell and his teammates had to navigate the absence of star big man Jarrett Allen for the last four games of that series en route to the victory.

Allen has been dealing with a rib injury since about midway through the Orlando matchup, leading some to wonder whether or not he will be available for Game 1 against the Celtics on Tuesday evening. Earlier in the day on Tuesday, the NBA official injury report came out, and Allen was listed as questionable for the matchup with a right rib contusion.

Joining Allen on the injury report for the Cavs were Ty Jerome (right ankle surgery), Craig Porter, Jr. (left ankle sprain), and Dean Wade (right knee sprain), each of whom will miss Game 1 vs the Celtics.

Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis is out for Boston with a right soleus strain sustained in Game 4 of his team’s win vs the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.

Do the Cavs have a chance?

While none of the injuries besides Allen might seem significant for the Cavs, it should be noted that Dean Wade was the catalyst behind one of the most improbable wins of the season for Cleveland, as he spurred a 20-point fourth quarter comeback against the Celtics in early March.

However, the major update of course will revolve around Allen. If the big man is able to give it a go, the Cavs would have a chance to inflict some real damage on the interior against a Celtics team that figures to play a more perimeter-oriented style of basketball due to the loss of Porzingis.

Evan Mobley was a bit hit or miss throughout the Cavs’ first round series win vs the Magic, and he would certainly be benefited from playing alongside the all-around force that is Allen around the basket.

The Cavs will also need a whole lot more from point guard Darius Garland, who struggled mightily to provide much support to Donovan Mitchell, evoking memories of the carrying jobs that LeBron James used to do for Cleveland in the playoffs during both of his tenures with the franchise.

In any case, Game 1 is slated for Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM ET.