The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without Donovan Mitchell (calf strain) for a pivotal Game 4 against the Boston Celtics.
Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff confirmed that Mitchell was injured at the end of Game 4. This injury is in the same left leg as the knee injury that kept Mitchell out for a sizeable chunk after the All-Star break. Bickerstaff mentioned that the medical staff hasn’t said anything to him about whether or not this calf strain is a result of powering through the knee injury.
“Obviously he wants to play and he’ll do everything in his power to be able to play,” Bickerstaff said before Game 4. “But it’s always the same with all of our guys. If he’s in a position where he can’t protect himself, we won’t ask him to play. He knows his body well enough at this point where he knows that if he can’t go out and give what he needs to help the win, he won’t be able to play.”
Bickerstaff emphasized that there’s no way to replicate what Mitchell does. It will require everyone to chip in to make up for his absence.
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“That’s the only way we can do it,” Bickerstaff said. “That’s the only way we can do it. Everybody’s going to have tick up a little bit. No one person is going to replace what Donovan does for us. Everybody just got to tick up whatever their strength is, whatever their skillset is.”
Cleveland is 12-15 during the regular season when Mitchell doesn’t play. The Cavs have been outscored by 31 points in the 24 minutes he’s been off the floor this series.
The Celtics’ lone loss to the Cavaliers in the regular season came in a game without Mitchell. Boston’s head coach Joe Mazzulla knows that his team can’t let down even though Cleveland will be without its best player.
“Regardless of who’s in, who’s out, you got to be the hardest playing team,” Mazulla said. “I guess that’s most important. There’ll be some minor adjustments along the way. But you know, it seems like the team that’s fighting the hardest. [It’s] the most desperate team that wins.”
Mazzulla’s response was simple when asked how his team avoids the natural letdown that comes with playing a team that’s without their top players.
The Boston Red Sox entered the 2025 season with one of the very best farm systems in baseball. The club proceeded to bring Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell all up to the big leagues at points.
All three have graduated from prospect status. Despite this fact, the Red Sox still boast one of the best farm systems in the game, even after trading a handful of guys away this past offseason, including Jhostynxon García and Brandon Clarke. Boston’s farm system is still stacked. Throughout Spring Training, guys like Payton Tolle, Franklin Arias, Connelly Early, Justin Gonzales and Jake Bennett have gotten most of the buzz. But another guy Red Sox fans should get to know right now is 2025 second-round pick Henry Godbout.
Godbout can play second base, shortstop and third base and was selected in the second round of the 2025 MLB Draft by Boston out of the University of Virginia. He played in 13 games for High-A Greenville and slashed .341/.473/.477 with a .950 OPS. Right now, Godbout is the team’s No. 11 prospect. But don’t be shocked if he moves up the list quickly.
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The Red Sox’s farm system is loaded
Jun 16, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Virginia Cavaliers second baseman Henry Godbout (2) runs after hitting a single against the Florida State Seminoles during the first inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
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While speaking to Andrew Parker of Baseball Now, Godbout opened up about how Driveline philosophies embraced by the Red Sox has already added a bit of power to his game that wasn’t there even last year when he was drafted.
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“It’s very new to me because UVA is probably the opposite of Driveline,” Godbout said to Baseball Now. “It’s all about hitting balls the other way, moving guys over, hitting the ball on the ground, and bunting. That is completely opposite of what we are doing over here, in a good way. It’s perfect for me and I knew this going into it by talking to Kyle Teel. I do a lot of those other things very well. Adding the ability to step on balls and pull them over the fence is the last piece of the puzzle. I think it’s the perfect marriage.
“There are obviously a couple of hiccups along the way, but that is part of it. I am learning that I don’t need to just gear up and take a long swing to create power. It might just come [by] swinging these bats and being in the bat speed program. This spring has been great being able to test things out. It is really a great system for me to take my game to the next level.”
Parker pointed out that things have already started clicking and Godbout launched a homer at Fenway South this past weekend during minor league Spring Training action.
So, Godbout currently is Boston’s No. 11 prospect. In 2025, he didn’t hit a homer in his 13 games of professional action. He had eight homers in his final college season across 50 games for UVA. If he can still be the high-average guy, plus add power in 2026, this guy is going to significantly rise up Boston’s prospect list. The future is bright for the Red Sox overall and it sounds like the club’s hitting approach is already having a positive impact down in the minors.
The Boston Celtics have built their teams in a number of ways over the decades, but few if any methods have born more fruit than through the NBA draft. The best players to suit up for the Celtics have, by and large, come to Boston either through being taken directly in the annual event, or via trades made that night.
And it is not just the top stars who have been picked up by the Celtics via the draft. Countless members of the storied ball club’s alumni have been taken by the team, and some schools are better represented than others. We can see blue blood programs and some very small schools both delivering top talent to Boston’s rosters over the years, so we decided to take a look at which players came from which schools overall.
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So without further ado, let’s take a look at every player who has been drafted by the Celtics out of Boston State University.
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Rod Forbes – forward
Oct 18, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The number 6 is seen on the Boston Celtics jersey honoring Celtic great Bill Russell during the third quarter of the game between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Draft year and position: 12th round (eighth pick, 163rd overall), 1969 NBA Draft
Seasons at Boston State University:
Seasons played with Celtics: Did not make the team
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Every Boston State University player drafted by the Celtics
BOSTON (WHDH) – Boston police are investigating a shooting in the South End on Sunday night that left a victim hospitalized.
Officers responding to a reported shooting in the area of Washington and East Berkely streets around 7:45 p.m. found a victim suffering from a gunshot wound, police said.
The victim was taken to the hospital to be treated for their injuries.
No arrests have been made.
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No additional information was immediately available.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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