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CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night without their regular starting lineup after downgrading Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Jarrett Allen, and Peyton Watson from questionable to out.
The four join Evan Mobley, who was already ruled out with a left great toe sprain. Those five had made 60 of Cleveland’s 65 starts this season.
According to the official NBA injury report, Mitchell is out with a left knee contusion and injury management. Harden has left lower leg and calf tightness. Allen is listed for right knee injury management and Watson for right hamstring injury management.
A nationwide FAA ground stop kept Cleveland in Miami overnight after Friday’s 133-121 loss to the Miami Heat, and the team flew home Saturday morning, cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported.
Donovan Mitchell, James Harden Miss First Games Of Season
Mitchell and Harden had played in all 13 of Cleveland’s games before Saturday. In Miami, Mitchell scored 25 points in 33 minutes. Harden played 35 minutes and finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals.
Mitchell leads the Cavaliers at 23.0 points per game, and no one on the roster averages more assists than Harden’s 5.8.
With Mobley and Allen both out, Cleveland is also without its two regular starting big men. Mobley missed his first game of the season Friday and is averaging 16.9 points and 7.3 rebounds. Allen came back Nov. 9 at the Charlotte Hornets after missing two games, and he pulls down 8.3 rebounds a night. Watson has started all 11 games he has played.
Sam Merrill is out again with right elbow injury management, and Nae’Qwan Tomlin has a low back stress reaction. Ernest Udeh Jr. is listed out on a G League two-way designation.
Rookie Meleek Thomas is the leading scorer among the Cavaliers who are available, at 13.0 points per game. Tyrese Proctor scored 22 points off the bench in Miami. Mario Hezonja has come off the bench in all 13 games.
Before the game, Mavericks coach Dusty May said the personnel will be different, but that around the league, what separates the winning teams from the ones that aren’t “is usually a small margin.”
“We have a lot of respect for the guys that are playing,” May said. “Those guys, they’re gonna roll out a big-time shooting lineup. Obviously, you look at the way Proctor and some of these guys are shooting the ball, and then it just gives more opportunity.”
“It’s a lot like Minnesota, they’re without Ant, but it’s given a lot of really quality players more opportunity, bigger role,” May continued.
Proctor is shooting 52.8% from three this season. Thomas is at 47.3%.
Max Christie Out, Caleb Martin Available For Dallas Mavericks
Dallas will be without Max Christie because of a left ankle sprain, after listing him as doubtful earlier Saturday. He tweaked the ankle in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s 133-94 loss at the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That loss ended a three-game winning streak. Christie, who has started 7 of his 11 games, also missed the Nov. 4 game at the San Antonio Spurs with right hip soreness.
Caleb Martin is available with a right thumb splint. Morez Johnson Jr. is available too, two days after coming off the bench in Minneapolis. A left shin contusion kept him out of Monday’s 125-122 win over the Indiana Pacers.
Sergio De Larrea, Tarik Biberović, and Dereck Lively II remain out. De Larrea will miss a ninth straight game with the right knee sprain he suffered Oct. 26 at Miami.
Biberović is still waiting on his regular-season debut. Right heel bursitis first kept him out of an Oct. 16 preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks. Lively last played Nov. 21, 2025, and had right foot surgery the following month.
Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving are not on the report. Flagg is averaging 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists, and Irving is scoring 21.6 points per game.
Dallas is 7-5. Cleveland is 6-7 overall and 4-2 at home, and the Mavericks won the last meeting at Rocket Arena, 130-120, on March 15.
Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. CT on KFAA-29 and MavsTV+, with the radio call on 105.3 The Fan. The Mavericks play the second night of a back-to-back Sunday at the Boston Celtics, with tip-off set for 5 p.m. CT.
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