Cavaliers Rumors: Jarrett Allen Out Indefinitely with Fractured Finger Injury
The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a major blow to their frontcourt Sunday as center Jarrett Allen reportedly suffered a fractured left middle 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 late in the first quarter, and he finished with six points, two rebounds and two blocks in 10 minutes. Cleveland went on to win 104-96 behind Lauri Markkanen's 22 points and 12 rebounds and rookie Evan Mobley's 20 points and 17 rebounds.
Allen had been enjoying the best season of his five-year career, and 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 remaining.
While Allen is out, Mobley will have even more of an opportunity to be Cleveland's top frontcourt option. The USC product is already a front-runner for Rookie of the Year with averages of 14.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Markkanen, Kevin Love,ย Isaac Okoro,ย Cedi Osman andย Dean Wade could also see more time.
The Cavaliers will visit the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
