NBA News: Jarrett Allen To Return For Cleveland Cavaliers Before Playoffs Start

KEY POINTS

Jarrett Allen won't need to go under the knife to address his fractured finger
Allen's return gives the Cavs a big boost in the playoffs
Evan Mobley's efforts make the Cavs a team to watch in the playoffs

The Cleveland Cavaliers can heave a bit of a relief as far as their NBA playoff hopes are concerned.

Currently at the sixth spot of the NBA Eastern Conference, concern grew on the frontcourt of the Cavaliers after Jarrett Allen suffered a fractured finger, something he sustained last March 6 in a game against the Toronto Raptors.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports who cited sources, the 23-year-old big man will not undergo a medical procedure to address his fractured finger.

The report added that Allen is expected to return to the Cavs lineup before the end of their regular season schedule.

This update comes as a bit of relief considering Allen was initially listed as being out indefinitely.

However, there was growing optimism that he could return for the Cavs who are having one of their better seasons after a long while.

Allen has been having a great 2021-22 NBA season, putting up career averages.

In 56 games, the 6-foot-10 cager has been averaging 16.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 32.3 minutes of action.

In his absence, Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has leaned on other players to pick up the slack. That includes All-Star Kevin Love, Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens, all of whom have drawn starts alongside Cleveland rookie Evan Mobley.

Ironically, Mobley has also been having a good season for the Cavaliers. He recently registered his 100th career block when the Cavs defeated the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, March 14.

The 20-year-old dropped 30 points in the game, combining with Darius Garland to help the Cavs hack out a 120-111 overtime win.

"I'm just going out there and being aggressive," Mobley said via Cleveland.com. "I feel like my teammates have put me in good spots to score and defend, so I'm really just trying to get better."

“It was a big block,” he added. “It really got our momentum going in the overtime. He got the rebound, I saw him going up, and I just timed it and blocked the shot. So that really just got us going.”

With Mobley doing well, a returning Allen could further boost the Cavaliers' defensive prowess and hopefully help them go deep into the 2022 NBA Playoffs.