The Cavaliers will head into Saturday’s Eastern Conference finals rematch with New York missing three pieces from their regular rotation.
Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson have all been ruled out for the game in Cleveland.
Allen is set to miss his second straight contest after taking a knee contusion in the first quarter of Wednesday’s loss to Oklahoma City. The injury is not viewed as serious, and he’s expected back soon.
Tyson has been sidelined for the last four games with a sprained ankle. He’s already been back on the practice court doing recovery work, and Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said the absence won’t be a “long-term” one.
Merrill’s situation has been more complicated. He played only 13 minutes Friday against Philadelphia, the first half of Cleveland’s weekend back-to-back, before it was announced at halftime of the 119-95 win that he would not return because of a recurring right elbow issue. For Saturday, his injury designation is “right elbow injury management.”
Sources tell cleveland.com that Merrill first felt pain in his shooting elbow during the preseason, which kept him out of the team’s exhibition finale. The break helped him manage it at the time, but the elbow has worsened as the season has gone on. He has been icing it and getting other treatment after games, and the injury has also affected his shooting mechanics, leaving some uncertainty about how the ball will come off his hand on the release.
The numbers have reflected that.
A career 39.5% 3-point shooter, Merrill is hitting just 38.6% from the field and 32.6% from deep in nine games this season. Both marks are his worst since 2021-22, when he was a part-time player for the Memphis Grizzlies.
With Allen out and Merrill unavailable after starting Friday, Atkinson will have to go to a fifth different starting lineup. Rookie Meleek Thomas or second-year guard Tyrese Proctor could slide into that group alongside James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson and Evan Mobley. Thomas and Proctor have each started one game this season.
New York will arrive short-handed too. Josh Hart has been ruled out with ankle soreness.
The reigning champion Knicks swept Cleveland in the conference finals this past spring, and Saturday will be the first meeting since that playoff loss.
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