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CLEVELAND — The Dallas Mavericks ruled out Max Christie with a left ankle sprain for Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Christie sprained the ankle in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s 133-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Dallas listed Christie as questionable on Friday and downgraded him to doubtful earlier Saturday before ruling him out. Right hip soreness kept him out of a Nov. 4 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Through 11 games, including 7 starts, Christie is averaging 5.3 points in 18.5 minutes while shooting 33.3% from the field and 27.3% from three. The job Mavericks coach Dusty May has laid out for him is to defend at a high level, rebound, play near mistake-free basketball, and take the open looks.
“You look across the league, and there’s certain guys right now they’re shooting 55%, and they’re not going to shoot 55% when the dust settles in a couple months, and then there’s other guys that are shooting 20%, and they’re not going to be shooting 20%,” May said. “So it’s just staying with your process of being more focused on making an impact on the game, on your team. If he defends at a high level, he rebounds, he plays near mistake-free basketball, the shots, it’s his job to take the open shots and good looks, and we’re confident they’ll drop. It’s unfortunate he sprained his ankle. I thought he played well in that setting.”
“Someone that, no matter what, is going to try to do the right thing every possession, regardless of being up 10 or down 20, definitely carries some weight,” May noted. “I thought he played well, and we’re anxious to get him back in the near future.”
Caleb Martin, Morez Johnson Jr. Available For Mavericks
Caleb Martin is available with a splint on his right thumb after a sprain cost him the season’s first four games. May wants Martin to be a connector who helps Dallas adjust to how it is being guarded, and he rates Martin’s point-of-attack defense as good as anyone’s on the roster.
“A little bit of everything,” May explained. “It’s not as if we’re saying that we want you to do this or do that. He’s got to be a connector. We’ve got to be able to adjust the way the game, how we’re being guarded. Each game’s going to look different. Each possession’s going to look different. So it’s finding matchup advantages, finding solutions to problems. But his defense on and off the ball, I think his point-of-attack defense is as good as anyone we have. He’s as disruptive as anyone we have one pass away, in the gaps.”
“And so he brings a number of things, and we decided to look at several different guys in that spot,” May added. “And the last couple games he’s played well, and we foresee something that could be really good in time, but we’re still trying to figure ourselves out as well.”
Morez Johnson Jr. is available after being listed as probable with a left shin contusion. The injury cost him Monday’s win over the Indiana Pacers, and he returned for Thursday’s game in Minneapolis.
Sergio De Larrea is out with a right knee sprain after missing eight straight games since he hurt the knee in the second quarter Oct. 26 at Miami. Tarik Biberović is out with right heel bursitis and has yet to make his regular-season debut. Dereck Lively II remains out following right foot surgery in December 2025 and has not played this season. Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg are not listed on Dallas’ report.
Cleveland Cavaliers Without Donovan Mitchell, James Harden
Cleveland ruled out Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Jarrett Allen, and Peyton Watson for the second night of a back-to-back after listing all four as questionable. They join Evan Mobley, who is out with a left great toe sprain, along with Sam Merrill and Nae’Qwan Tomlin. The Cavaliers are 6-7 after a 133-121 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday.
Tyrese Proctor is not on Cleveland’s injury report. May said the Cavaliers’ situation reminded him of Thursday’s game at Minnesota, where the Timberwolves played without Anthony Edwards.
“Obviously, the personnel is different, but when you look around the league, there’s so many good players, and what separates the teams that are winning from the teams that aren’t is usually a small margin,” May said. “We have a lot of respect for the guys that are playing. 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,” May continued. “It’s a lot like Minnesota. They’re without Ant, but it’s given a lot of really quality players more opportunity, bigger role. And so we can’t take anything away from the guys we’re playing.”
The Mavericks are 7-5 heading into the 6:30 p.m. CT game at Rocket Arena. KFAA-29 and MavsTV+ will carry the broadcast.
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