Cavs vs. Pelicans game blog: Sam Merrill exits lopsided loss with wrist injury
CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers had gained momentum with three consecutive wins despite their rotation being drastically depleted and altered.
But the Cavs could not keep the good times rolling Thursday night as they fell 123-104 to the visiting New Orleans Pelicans.
It was the second night of a back to back for the Cavs (16-13), and they were missing their top three scorers again.
On Wednesday night, reserve guard Sam Merrill caught fire for Cleveland and scored a career-high 27 points in a 124-116 victory over the Utah Jazz. Merrill is a native of Salt Lake City, Utah, and do you know which NBA team drafted him in the second round in 2020, only to trade him to the Milwaukee Bucks the same year?
The Pelicans (17-12), of course. Merrill was added to the Cavs' injury report Thursday with a sore right wrist and listed as questionable to face his former team. He played in the first half against the Pelicans before being ruled out for the remainder of the game. There is more information about Merrill later in this story.
Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell was inactive Thursday night. It was the second consecutive game Mitchell missed because of an illness. Cleveland was already without starting point guard Darius Garland (jaw surgery) and starting forward Evan Mobley (knee surgery) before Mitchell became ill.
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Mitchell had been playing point guard with Garland sidelined. Undrafted rookie Craig Porter Jr. started in place of Mitchell for the second game in a row and recorded a career-high 11 assists to go along with seven points.
Porter was joined by guard Max Strus, forward Isaac Okoro, forward Dean Wade and center Jarrett Allen in the starting lineup.
Tipoff between the Cavs and Pelicans occurred shortly after 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Check back here for updates throughout the game.
Below is some information about the fourth quarter.
Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, Cavs forward Dean Wade post season-high scoring totals
Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III finished with a game-high 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, including 6 of 10 on 3-pointers. It was his season high.
Wade scored a season-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting (6 of 8 3-pointers) to lead the Cavs.
Pelicans extended their lead to 24 points during the fourth quarter vs. the Cavs
A 3-pointer by guard Dyson Daniels with 7:56 left to play gave the Pelicans a 24-point lead and the Cavs their largest deficit of the game.
The undermanned Cavs lack the requisite firepower on the second night of a back to back.
Below is some information about the third quarter.
Cavs trailed by 10 points with less than three minutes left in the third quarter and were in a 94-76 hole entering the fourth quarter
The Cavs were behind 80-76 when Wade made a 3-pointer with 4:36 left in the third quarter.
However, the Pelicans pulled away again by scoring the next six points and taking an 86-76 lead with 2:59 remaining in the third quarter.
New Orleans kept rolling and extended its run to 14-0 to end the third quarter. The Cavs were down 94-76 entering the fourth quarter.
Cavs guard Sam Merrill leaves game with right wrist soreness
With 3:10 left in the third quarter, rookie second-round pick Emoni Bates entered the game for the first time.
Bates filled in with Merrill ruled out for the rest of the game, a development the Cavs announced. Merrill did not appear in the second half due to right wrist soreness, according to the team.
After the game, Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the team's medical staff told him Merrill couldn't play in the second half.
Cavs opened second half on 7-0 run
A 3-pointer by Okoro, a layup by Okoro in transition after Wade blocked a shot and a layup by Strus on a fast break allowed the Cavs to reduce their deficit to 66-59 with 9:50 left in the third quarter.
The Cavs scored the first seven points of the second half.
Below is some information about the second quarter.
Cavs trail Pelicans 66-52 at halftime
After the Cavs narrowed their deficit to two points, they were outscored 15-3 to end the second quarter and fell behind 66-52 at halftime.
Murphy III had a game-high 19 points through the first two quarters. He shot 7 of 10 from the field, including 4 of 7 on 3-pointers. Forward Brandon Ingram added 13 points for New Orleans on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor.
Strus led the Cavs with 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting. Merrill, the hero of the previous two Cavs games, went 0 for 4 from the field in 12 minutes during the first half.
The Pelicans outrebounded the Cavs 20-13 and scored 14 fast-break points compared with three.
Cavs cut Pelicans' lead to two points, but New Orleans answers with 8-0 run
Strus made two foul shots and then a 3-pointer on the Cavs' next possession to slice the Pelicans' lead to 51-49 with 4:36 left in the second quarter.
But Murphy III powered an immediate response with a 3-pointer and a layup. The sequence helped put the Pelicans ahead 59-49.
Cavs cut 14-point deficit to seven points midway through the second quarter vs. Pelicans
The Cavs fell into a 14-point hole with 10:08 left in the second quarter, when Pelicans forward Naji Marshall made a 3-pointer.
However, the Cavs were behind 49-42 when reserve forward Georges Niang made a 3-pointer with 6:57 left in the second quarter off an assist from Merrill, who started the game 0-of-4 shooting from the field.
Below is some information about the first quarter.
Cleveland Cavaliers trailed New Orleans Pelicans 36-28 at the end of the first quarter
The Cavs faced a 36-28 deficit at the end of one quarter.
Murphy had eight points to pace his team. Wade and Niang led the Cavs with six points apiece.
Cavs began game 5 of 10 from 3-point range
A night after the Cavs made 23 3-pointers, they were 5-of-10 shooting from long range with 2:59 left in the opening quarter, when the Pelicans led 28-23 and called timeout.
Wade made both of his 3-pointers to begin the game, and Niang started 2 of 3 from behind the arc.
Cavs called first timeout while trailing Pelicans 19-9
Ingram made a wide-open 3-pointer in transition off a turnover, putting the Cavs in a 19-9 hole and prompting Bickerstaff to use a timeout with 7:07 remaining in the first quarter.
The Cavs committed two turnovers, and the Pelicans scored five points off them in roughly the first five minutes of the game.
Below is some pregame information.
Donovan Mitchell is out for second game in a row with an illness, but what is the rest of the Cavs vs. Pelicans injury report?
In addition to Mitchell, Garland and Mobley, the Cavs ruled out backup point guards Ty Jerome (ankle) and Ricky Rubio (not with the team due to personal reasons).
Revere High School graduate and former Cavs forward Larry Nance Jr. didn't suit up for the Pelicans. He remained out in his recovery from a fractured rib, but he told the Beacon Journal on Thursday afternoon he expects to return to game action soon.
"I've been able to, fortunately, work and stay in shape during all of it. I'm close to coming back, and I'm just really, really excited for what I can add to this team," said Nance, who last played on Nov. 27 against the Jazz.
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The Pelicans have another Northeast Ohio native on their roster — starting guard CJ McCollum, a GlenOak High School graduate. McCollum scored 18 points against the Cavs.
The Pelicans ruled out forward Matt Ryan (elbow surgery), forward Zion Williamson (non-COVID-19 illness) and center Cody Zeller (right ankle sprain). They listed guard/forward Herb Jones (non-COVID-19 illness) and center Jonas Valanciunas (non-COVID-19 illness) as questionable but both players started.
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What is the all-time series history between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans?
The Cavs are now 20-26 against the Pelicans. Last season, the Cavs won both of the meetings between the two teams, one in Cleveland and the other in New Orleans.
How can I watch, stream or listen to Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans?
The game was televised locally on Bally Sports Ohio and broadcast on the radio via WTAM (1100-AM), WMMS (100.7-FM) and WNZN (89.1-FM).
Who do the Cavs play next?
Cavs versus Pelicans was the last matchup of Cleveland's four-game homestand.
On deck for the Cavs is a road game Saturday against the Chicago Bulls.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Game blog: Cavs fall to Pelicans, Sam Merrill exits with wrist injury
