Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell has been ruled out for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. Mitchell’s name was listed on the injury report along with teammates Jalen Williams (questionable, left hamstring soreness) and Thomas Sorber (right ACL surgery recovery).
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Mitchell strained his right soleus in the second quarter of Game 3, leaving with 3:56 left in the first half. The Thunder took a 2-1 series lead with a 123-108 win on Friday night. Mitchell played 16:53, scoring two points on 1-of-5 shooting, missing his only 3-point attempt, grabbing five rebounds, dishing one assist and turning it over three times.
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Mitchell’s absence will create a void for the Thunder, who have relied on the guard’s ability to score in isolation and create for others. In 57 regular-season games for the defending champions, Mitchell more than doubled his scoring average to 13.6 points while also averaging 3.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. The Thunder had a 6-1 record in games he scored at least 20 points. The Thunder are 10-1 this postseason, including a 4-0 mark in games in which Mitchell scores 20-plus points.
Entering the weekend, for the playoffs, Mitchell ranked ninth among players in total points off drives, shooting 47.2 percent on such attempts, according to NBA.com. With Williams in and out the lineup, Mitchell has stepped up as a viable No. 2 option to reigning two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the only Thunder player SGA trails in total touches this postseason.
When the Thunder trust Mitchell, they’ve readily benefited. Per NBA.com, he is shooting 53.5 percent when operating as the pick-and-roll ballhandler, sporting a better mark than DeA’aron Fox (49.3), Donovan Mitchell (45.3), Jalen Brunson (45.1) and Cade Cunningham (40.5).
This story will be updated.