Mitchell unhappy with Cavs' recent struggles: 'It's f-----g April'

Donovan Mitchell isn't happy with the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I told you at the beginning of the season, if we had these struggles at this point, then it's a problem," Mitchell said, according to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com. "It can't happen. ... We have to find a way to figure it out.

"It's not going to linger after tonight. Have to watch the film and get back to what we do. But it can't happen. We can all point to shit. It's April. It's f-----g April. We've got to figure it out. And we will."

The Cavs have dropped eight of their last 12 games, including Sunday's 130-101 loss to the Denver Nuggets. They rank 18th in offensive rating (112) and 24th in defensive rating (118.5) over that span.

Cleveland has been plagued by injuries this campaign. Forward Evan Mobley has missed 32 games this season due to knee and ankle ailments, while former All-Star Darius Garland was sidelined for 19 contests with a jaw injury.

Mitchell has missed 13 of the Cavs' past 15 games due to knee and nose injuries. He recorded 13 points and six assists in 31 minutes in the loss, making his first two shots but going 1-of-10 for the rest of the contest.

"I'm working back into it," Mitchell said when asked if he was playing below full strength. "That's natural. I’m not worried about it. Just continue to build the reps and build the mental confidence in it. At the end of the day, I'm fine. I have to play better."

Cleveland ranks third in the Eastern Conference with a 45-30 record. The Cavs face Mitchell's former team, the Utah Jazz, on Tuesday.