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CLEVELAND — The Dallas Mavericks listed Max Christie as questionable with a left ankle sprain for Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to the NBA’s official injury report filed Friday evening.
Dallas also listed Morez Johnson Jr. as probable with a left shin/tibia contusion and Caleb Martin as available with a right thumb splint. Sergio De Larrea (right knee sprain), Tarik Biberović (right heel bursitis), and Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery) are out.
The report came a day after the Mavericks lost 133-94 to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center in the first stop of a three-game road trip. Thursday’s defeat ended a three-game winning streak and dropped Dallas to 7-5.
Max Christie Questionable After Ankle Injury In Minnesota
Christie tweaked his ankle in the fourth quarter Thursday. Earlier this month, he left the Nov. 2 game against the Sacramento Kings with right hip soreness and tightness. He sat out the Nov. 4 loss at the San Antonio Spurs and returned two days later against the Utah Jazz.
Last season, his first full season in Dallas, Christie appeared in 77 games and averaged 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He shot 44.1% from the field and 40.4% from three-point range.
Johnson sat out Monday’s win over the Indiana Pacers with the same left shin/tibia contusion. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft was back on Thursday, checking in off the bench during the first quarter in Minnesota.
In October, Johnson was listed as questionable with right shin splints before an Oct. 24 game against San Antonio. He was upgraded to probable that afternoon and played on a minutes restriction. Martin missed Dallas’ first four games with a right thumb sprain before making his season debut Oct. 28 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Cooper Flagg is not on the report after tweaking his ankle less than 30 seconds into Thursday’s game, when he came down on a Minnesota player’s foot after a shot. Flagg finished with 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, three days after scoring 43 points against Indiana.
Kyrie Irving, who won the 2016 NBA championship with Cleveland, is also off the report. Irving scored 10 points Thursday after putting up 35 against the Pacers on Monday.
Three Dallas Mavericks Players Remain Out As Cleveland Cavaliers Finish Back-To-Back
De Larrea has missed eight straight games since spraining his right knee in the second quarter of Dallas’ 113-109 win at the Miami Heat on Oct. 26. Two days before the injury, he led the Mavericks with 21 points and went 3-of-4 from three-point range in a loss to San Antonio with Irving and Flagg sitting out.
Biberović has not made his regular-season debut. The team first listed the right heel bursitis when it ruled him out of an Oct. 16 preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks. Mavericks coach Dusty May said Nov. 1 that Biberović was close to playing, and he has remained out for all six games since.
In an Oct. 9 preseason game against the Houston Rockets in Macao, Biberović scored 9 points in 19 minutes and went 3-of-8 from three-point range.
Lively has not played this season after undergoing surgery on his right foot in December 2025. His last game came Nov. 21, 2025. Over 7 appearances last season, he averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks.
Cleveland had not submitted its injury report for Saturday as of Friday evening. The Cavaliers played at Miami on Friday night, putting them on the second night of a back-to-back, while Dallas had Friday off in Cleveland.
Cleveland was without Evan Mobley on Friday in Miami because of a left great toe sprain. Sam Merrill missed that game for right elbow injury management, while Nae’Qwan Tomlin sat out with a low back stress reaction. Mobley entered Friday second on the team in scoring at 16.9 points per game.
The Cavaliers were 6-6 going into the Miami game, including 4-2 at home. The Mavericks have beaten Indiana twice, Miami, and the Brooklyn Nets for a 4-0 mark against the Eastern Conference.
Saturday’s game tips off at 6:30 p.m. CT at Rocket Arena and will be shown on KFAA-29 and MavsTV+. Fans can listen on 105.3 The Fan, with the Spanish-language call on 99.1 FM Zona MX.
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