CLEVELAND (AP) — Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley will be sidelined for the second time this season due to a strained left calf, the team said Tuesday.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is expected to miss 1 to 3 weeks.
Mobley suffered the injury during Monday night’s 114-98 victory over the Orlando Magic. He had tightness in the calf after the game and an MRI on Tuesday revealed the strain.
Mobley missed five games in December with a Grade 1 strain of the calf. The fifth-year 7-footer is averaging 17.9 points and 8.8 rebounds in 40 games.
Cleveland enters Wednesday night’s game against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on its second four-game winning streak of the season and is a season-high eight games over .500 at 28-20. The Cavaliers depart for a season-long, five-game trip after hosting the Lakers.
Mobley recorded his 500th blocked shot on Monday night, making the 24-year-old the youngest Cavs player to reach that milestone. He’s second in the league in blocks this season, averaging 2.0 per game.
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