CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 14: Tyrese Proctor #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on November 14, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Dallas Mavericks behind an awesome game from their young guards.
Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Player of the game
Tyrese Proctor
24 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists
Proctor is in full swing of a sophomore breakout right now. He’s put together a strong week of games, culminating in this prime opportunity to prove that he can scale his usage up into a larger role.
He impacted every facet of the game, lifting Cleveland’s offense with his shot creation and providing support on defense at the point of attack.
The Cavs have found something here. Proctor’s development isn’t something they can overlook.
Grade: A+++
Grades
Meleek Thomas
20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Thomas has been the winner of the young Cavs’ season. He’s stood out in almost every game he’s appeared in, and he did not disappoint tonight in his largest role to date. His shot-making, which includes an unstoppable-looking floater, was on full display as he helped energize the Cavs to a big win.
Grade: A-
Mario Hezonja
22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Hezonja hasn’t been able to earn many minutes in previous games but was given the green light tonight out of necessity. I’d say he made the most of that opportunity, complementing every lineup he was in and providing a sense of stability. He can still be a bit dicey when defending off-ball actions, but Hezonja would be getting more minutes if it were up to me.
Mario shot 9-of-12 from the floor and hit all of the key momentum shots for Cleveland.
Grade: A+
Jaylon Tyson
18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Tyson was given all the room he needed to get comfortable tonight. He didn’t have to worry about filling a role as he normally would. Instead, being granted the freedom to create for himself and serve as a dynamic offensive threat. That helped him turn in his best offensive game of the season.
Grade: A-
Thomas Bryant
19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
Bryant, a veteran leader on this team, suited up in the starting lineup despite playing 16 minutes the night before in Miami. There was no rest for TB as he worked harder than anyone else on the court to make sure this team had a big man anchoring the paint on both ends of the floor.
Well done, Bryant.
Grade: A
Norchad Omier
13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists
Omier was the definition of heart and hustle tonight as he used his bulky frame to bang in the paint and grab rebounds. I don’t know what the ceiling is for a player like Omier, but he’s certainly helpful in setting a tone on a night like tonight.
Grade: A-
Craig Porter Jr.
9 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 turnovers
Porter threw some highly questionable passes in this game and turned it over more than you’d like. Other than that, he had some impressive finishes around the rim and was mostly a positive.
Grade: B
Riley Minix
2 points (1-6 shooting)
Minix is back to not fitting in with this Cavs team. He simply hasn’t been able to shoot the ball efficiently, and he’s not a good enough defender to make up for it.
Nov 14, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Tyrese Proctor (24) reacts in the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers all but punted this game after not getting back from Miami until late this morning. They rested four of the five starters from last night’s game (Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Jarrett Allen, Peyton Watson) rather than risk injury on the second night of a back-to-back. Yet sometimes, the receiving team muffs the punt.
The Dallas Mavericks — who weren’t resting their starters — took their eye off the ball. Cleveland took advantage, led by a triple-double from Tyrese Proctor to ruin Kyrie Irving’s homecoming and defeat Dallas127-117.
Proctor has been a revelation over the last week. He backed up an impressive performance in Miami — albeit in a supporting role — with a dominant on-ball showing against the Mavericks.
This was a different outing than what we’ve seen from Proctor in the past. Instead of being mostly an off-ball shooter, he thrived at creating his own shots. Only one of his 10 field goals was assisted. This included going 5-for-8 on off-the-dribble jumpers.
Scoring wasn’t the only thing Proctor provided. He was the primary initiator of the offense, as evidenced by his 10 assists. Some of these led to direct baskets at the rim for Thomas Bryant (19 points and 11 rebounds) out of the pick-and-roll. Overall, six of his assists went to baskets at the rim. He also sprayed the ball to outside shooters and swung the ball on the perimeter, leading to three assists on triples.
Proctor also helped as a defender and rebounder. Kenny Atkinson often talks about how the guards need to be adequate rebounders as well. Proctor was that in a complete all-around performance.
This season, Proctor has been asked to fit into a very specific role. He’s done that well, but nights like this show that he’s capable of more.
Irving’s 20 second-quarter points got the Mavs back into this game. He still can be a one-man offense for extended stretches and completely take over games. This was another impressive scoring performance from someone who’s had more than his fair share in this building.
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Third star: Mario Hezonja
22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Hezonja made a strong argument for why he deserves more minutes than he’s been getting in recent games. He forced mismatches offensively, and then read how the defense was going to react and consistently made the right play out of it. Hozonja processes the game at such a high level. This elevates the basketball IQ for units he’s on the court with.
Back-to-backs are difficult, especially when travel plans are thrown off as drastically as they were around the country yesterday. It makes sense to err on the side of caution in a situation like this. What’s the point of risking an injury for a game that will matter very little in the spring? At the same time, saying that the game should be canceled because of an inconvenience like this is a bad look.
On top of that, the Cavs played some of their most inspiring basketball of the early season on Saturday night without six of the top eight players in their rotation. That is good for the guys who played, but a clear indictment on those who didn’t.
Atkinson was asked about rebounding before the game since it’s been a consistent issue with the starting group. He gave a long-winded answer that could’ve been summed up by saying there’s only so much coaching can do. “I always tell the coaches, it’s 50% on us. It’s got to transfer — the message has to get through.”
This message, and many others about how they want to play basketball on both ends, is getting through — just not to the guys who will ultimately determine wins and losses in the spring.
Cavalier who deserves a shoutout
Norchad Omier
13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Omier made the most of his first real rotation minutes for the Cavs. He was impactful offensively with his ability to finish inside and hit a corner three as well. Defensively, he used his wide frame to play backup five when Bryant wasn’t out there.
The Cavs won the minutes Omier played by 11. Getting quality play like this from a two-way big went a long way toward stealing the victory.
Play of the game
Kyrie Irving received his second loud ovation of the night after the Cavs played a tribute video celebrating the 2016 championship. pic.twitter.com/fqA6wFDv4K
Irving received a loud ovation when he was introduced as a starter, and an even louder one when they played a video tribute for his contribution to the 2016 championship team.
Quote of the day
“You know, 52 years is a long, long period of time waiting for a championship, and we did it. And I think that’s one of the hardest championships — I think. I’m not gonna say it is, I said I think personally it’s one of the hardest championships ever in NBA history that we got to accomplish.”
The Cavaliers who were available on Saturday showed that they’re capable of hearing the message from the coaching staff and applying it on the court.
Main takeaway from this game: The Cavs have some encouraging young players
I wrote about this in yesterday’s deep dive from the Miami Heat loss: The Cavs have quietly turned over their supporting cast. Their younger bench players are far more versatile than the specialists we’ve seen in previous seasons.
The trio of Tyrese Proctor, Meleek Thomas, and Jaylon Tyson have very defined roles when the starters are out there. They’ve mostly performed well in those situations and have shown glimpses of being able to do more. On Saturday, they proved that they can scale their games up when called upon.
Cleveland needed that trio to be the offensive initiators given who was out, and they did that. The ball was moving quickly around the perimeter, with each being able to attack off the dribble when needed. This resulted in the trio all scoring 18 points or more against a Mavs team actually playing their starters.
This performance on its own doesn’t necessarily mean much. It’s not uncommon to see NBA teams let up and lose when their opponent is missing half of their rotation. However, this game didn’t just come out of the blue; it was a continuation of what we’ve been seeing pretty consistently for the last week or so — specifically from Proctor and Thomas.
The Cavs are at a weird crossroads. How they’ve been playing with their star players has led to inconsistent results. We’ve seen some high highs, but some even lower lows. Something needs to change if they’re going to reach the heights they have the potential to.
Surrendering the reins to the young players isn’t the answer to their problems. But turning to the style of play that this group has embraced — and the one that all the Cavs did during the 2024-25 season — could be a solution. Just not one we’ve seen the veterans truly get on board with yet. Maybe this win changes some minds.
MIAMI — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, some of the spectacular variety, and the Miami Heat beat the Detroit Pistons 137-117 on Saturday night for their fourth straight win.
Klay Thompson scored 26 points in his return from a sprained ankle and Bam Adebayo added 20 for the Heat. Davion Mitchell had 15 points and nine rebounds for Miami.
Cade Cunningham had 33 points and eight assists for Detroit, which got 20 points and seven assists from Kevin Huerter.
Miami had nine players record at least one block and finished with 14 as a team — one shy of the franchise record.
The NBA record for players on the same team having at least one block in a game is 10, done twice — both by Golden State, first in 1991 and then again in 2016. The Heat team record for players with at least one block was eight, done on five occasions.
Antetokounmpo finished a weekend where he scored 71 points in a two-day span, after finishing with 37 in Miami’s win over Cleveland on Friday night. He also had a through-the-legs assist to Thompson for a 3-pointer in the opening quarter.
It was one of six 3s on the night for Thompson, who is now 26 away from tying former Heat guard Ray Allen (2,973) for the third-most 3-pointers in NBA history.
Miami won for the seventh time in its last nine games and became the fourth team in the last 25 seasons to start 0-4 but rally to a winning record at the 13-game mark. Sacramento (7-6) did it in 2022-23, Oklahoma City (8-5) did it in 2018-19 and Dallas (9-4) did it in 2006-07.
It also matched the best nine-game stretch for the Heat since an 8-1 burst in November 2023.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 02: Tari Eason #17 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket against Sharife Cooper #13 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on March 2, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, we all called it. The Houston Rockets struggled to put away the 1-11 Utah Jazz. Who could have seen this coming? (All of us. All of us saw it coming.)
Thankfully, Houston picked up the win. Now they head to the nation’s capital to take on the new-look Washington Wizards and begin a four-game road trip. Xiane has mentioned that last season’s schedule really hurt Houston and the road-heavy start and middle was not made up for by the home-heavy end of the season, by which point the Rockets had already checked out and forgotten how to shoot.
The Wizards are 4-9 and coming off a tough 2OT loss to the Detroit Pistons. A Trae Young buzzer beater got them to OT, where they raced out to a quick 7-point lead. Then that was that. They’ve had two days off to recover and should not be taken lightly. Of course, this Houston team is likely to take them lightly.
It’s early in the season, so Anthony Davis is healthy. It’ll be more of a test than the Jazz were able to throw at Alperen Sengun. The rest of Atlanta’s starting lineup consists of Young, Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr, and #1 overall pick AJ Dybansta. To round out the rotation, they have Bub Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, and Deandre Ayton.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 10: Jake LaRavia #12 of the Los Angeles Lakers splits the defense of Dillon Brooks #3 and Jamaree Bouyea #17 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of a game at Crypto.com Arena on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers (11-2) conclude their road trip in Phoenix where they will take on the Suns (5-6) on Sunday. It’s the first head-to-head matchup of the season between Pacific Division foes.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns
When: 1 p.m. PT, Nov. 15
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center
Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet
The first matchup between the Lakers and Suns will feature two teams coming in with lots of momentum. Los Angeles has won seven straight games while Phoenix caught fire last week by nabbing four of their last five.
The Suns also have their superstar firepower in Devin Booker, who is playing very well as of late and is averaging 25.5. points, 2.5 rebounds and five assists per game this season. His matchup against long-time rival Luka Dončić — who is obviously playing out of this world right now — will take center stage.
Unfortunately, Austin Reaves will not be able to join Dončić since he’s recovering from a heel bruise. This then presents another challenge for the Lakers in how to navigate without their second-best player for the time being.
For the Lakers to come away with a win, they’ll need to do a few things to keep the Suns in check.
Let Dončić cook Booker
There’s no doubt that Luka is the best player on either team in this matchup but the pressure on him increases with Austin out of the lineup. While Dončić will shoulder much of the offensive load, the Lakers’ defense will need to step up in containing Booker. That’s where Matisse Thybulle, Quentin Grimes and even Colin Sexton come in. The goal is to make sure Booker doesn’t get into rhythm the way he has over the last few games.
Expose the Suns’ flaws
You’d think that there is no worse rebounding team than the Lakers, but the Suns rank dead last in the league in the category. One reason Phoenix struggles on the boards is its lack of frontcourt size, and that’s an area Walker Kessler needs to exploit. The Suns counter by attempting to win the 50-50 balls and forcing turnovers, which the Lakers need to do a better job of.
Note that Phoenix also has the 26th-best defense in the league, so it’ll be ideal for the Lakers’ offense to overwhelm the Suns right off the bat. Hopefully the Lakers’ supporting cast and bench can outplay the likes of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Luke Kennard, among others.
Don’t let the Suns get hot
Given their defensive shortcomings, the Suns’ best path to winning games is often to simply outshoot their opponents. While it’s difficult to account for an unusually hot shooting game, the Lakers’ defense must make sure the Suns don’t get comfortable and find their rhythm. The Lakers’ defense can’t be nonexistent in this one.
Hopefully, much like their victory over the Hawks without Reaves, the Lakers can control the pace and dictate the momentum throughout this game. It won’t be a walk in the park but the Lakers have shown that they’re a team that can overcome obstacles. Let’s see if they can do that and extend their winning streak to eight on Sunday.
Notes and Updates
For the Lakers’ injury report, Reaves (left heel bruise) and Cameron Carr (illness) are out.
Bronny James (illness), Adou Thiero (left ankle sprain) and Colin Sexton (right orbital laceration) is questionable.
As for the Suns, Mark Williams (left shoulder surgery) is out.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 14: P.J. Washington #25 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots against Tyrese Proctor #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Rocket Arena on November 14, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (7-6) turned in a second straight pitiful performance on Saturday, dropping a 127-117 decision to the Cleveland Cavaliers (7-7) at Rocket Arena.Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 34 points on seven made 3-pointers, but no one rode shotgun with him as the Mavericks gave away a winnable game with a putrid second quarter.
Four of the five Cavaliers’ regular starters sat with injuries on the second night of a back-to-back set, after travel difficulties related to the temporary ground stop at all U.S. airports beset the team coming back home from its game at the Miami Heat on Thursday. Various injuries were listed on the Cavs’ injury report, but the travel difficulties were what really tipped the scales of availability.
Saturday’s matchup appeared to offer Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving a get-right opportunity after an off night in Thursday’s 133-94 loss at the Minnesota Timberwolves. But that’s not what happened, of course. Let’s see what the numbers tell us.
9: Caleb Martin first-quarter points
An unlikely early scoring leader emerged for the Mavericks against the Cavs on Saturday. Caleb Martin paced Dallas with nine points through the first quarter on 4-of-4 shooting, including his only 3-point attempt of the opening frame.
Martin got into the passing lane on a bad pass from Thomas Bryant with 2:25 left in the first, and ran ahead for a dunk to put the Mavs in front, 22-20. He scored his first seven points in the first 4:35 of the game.
But as you may suspect, Martin’s emergence as the team’s leading scorer early on was not necessarily a harbinger of good things to come for Dallas. After battling to a 33-33 tie at the end of one with an injury-riddled version of the Cavaliers, Dallas started to wobble even more in the second.
38-20: Cleveland’s second-quarter ass kicking
The Dallas defense was nonexistent in the second quarter, and things weren’t going much better on the offensive end either. The Mavericks surrendered 38 points to a beleaguered Cavaliers team featuring big performances from the likes of Bryant (14 points, six rebounds in first half), rookie second-rounder Meleek Thomas (13 first-half points, 3-of-6 from 3-point range) and Tyrese Proctor (13 and six).
Meanwhile, Flagg and Irving combined to shoot 4-of-18 in the first half, scoring just 14 points between them. That continued a disturbing trend from Thursday’s lopsided loss at the Minnesota Timberwolves, when the duo scored just 22 points between them.
The Cavs turned a 33-33 tie after one quarter into a rout by shooting better than 56% from the field in the first half and took a gaudy 71-53 lead into the halftime break.
4: Third-quarter 3-pointers from Kyrie Irving
The Mavericks needed someone to step up in the worst way if they were going to trim the Cleveland lead to somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 points going into the fourth quarter. Enter Irving, finally.
He made 7-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-8 from 3-point land out of halftime as the Mavericks made two separate runs at the Cavs’ lead in the third. His third of the third pulled the Mavs to within 95-83 with 2:46 left in the frame. He hit a 28-footer less than a minute later to make it 97-88, giving Irving 17 points in the quarter, but the no-name Cavs had an answer every time.
Mario Hezonja, apparently playing the role of Croatian Kobe Bryant, scored 12 of his own in the third on a pair of made 3-pointers for Cleveland. After the dust settled in a back-and-forth third quarter, the Mavs were still down by 14, 105-91 as the fourth quarter loomed.
What made the frame frustrating is how little the Mavericks’ role players did to help Irving out as he single-handedly tried to bring Dallas back. Martin, PJ Washington, Morez Johnson Jr., Zaccharie Risacher and Santi Aldama all combined to score four points on a combined 2-of-7 from the field in the third. Irving scored 20 of his team-high XX in the third before the Mavericks faded into the Cleveland night down the stretch.
11-of-31: Cooper Flagg shooting in last two losses
Flagg was nonexistent on both ends of the floor against the Cavs, as he made just six field goals on offense, and got burned time and time again on defense while trying to stay in front of someone named Tyrese Proctor off ball screens. Flagg made just 5-of-12 from the field in limited action on Thursday in the blowout loss at Minnesota.
Proctor has, for most of the early part of the year, been a 20-minute-off-the-bench kind of guy. Against the Mavs on Saturday, he set career-high marks in points, rebounds, and assists on his way to the first triple-double of his career. Proctor burned everyone the Mavs sent at him on Saturday, finishing with 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the unlikely Cleveland win.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The name of the game in the NBA is adjustments.
It’s usually about adjusting to other teams. But for the Nets — and a host of others around the league over the past two days — it was adjusting their travel.
The Nets — who were en route to play the Grizzlies, an eventual 129-110 loss — got thrown into travel chaos Friday night and Saturday morning, just like the rest of the country. The Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to ground every flight nationwide for hours Friday left travelers scrambling, and the Nets were among them.
“Yeah, I mean, obviously it was something that we couldn’t control,” Nets coach Jordi Fernández said. “And to be honest with you, it was not that bad. We had good rest and got here [Saturday] morning and did our walkthrough, and probably [would have] gone to the gym, but we were not able to. And I think we feel good and ready to go.”
Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026. AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman
The ground stop lasted over four hours before the FAA finally let airplanes take off Friday night. The Nets were one of five NBA teams that had been slated to fly that day for games Saturday.
Brooklyn had been coming off a dominant 142-111 victory over the Pelicans on Wednesday night at Smoothie King Arena. They had stayed in New Orleans and practiced in the city Friday morning before heading to the airport to charter to Memphis.
The Nets had just boarded their team plane in New Orleans, but had their flight halted in place. They eventually had to deboard the plane, scramble and find a hotel and stay overnight in New Orleans.
Eventually, the Nets flew out at about 9 a.m. Saturday and arrived around 11 a.m., though the times blurred to Fernández.
“Every day feels the same day and I just know the team that I play against in the city that I’m in,” Fernández laughed. “I don’t know about time, sorry.”
The Nets had initially planned to have a morning shootaround in Memphis. But arriving that morning instead of the afternoon prior, their plans got changed.
They faced the Grizzlies later that night at FedExForum.
“Yeah, I mean, some of the guys we would have done some sort of shooting in the morning. It’s been the routine that they’ve had so far, whether it’s in a team setting or shooting times and walk-through and stuff like that. But we were not able to do it because of the time that we got here,” Fernández said. “So, like I said, it’s not ideal. We got here, everybody’s safe. It’s the most important thing.”
Nets play-by-play voice Chris Carrino and color analyst Tim Capstraw — Brooklyn’s radio announcers for WFAN — were flying commercial and also got caught by the travel chaos. With direct transit from New Orleans to Memphis already all but impossible, the duo had flown to Houston and planned to catch a connecting flight but got stranded in Texas. They stayed in the airport and flew into Memphis on a 7:20 a.m. flight.
Ironically, the Grizzlies had also been in New Orleans, and beat the Pelicans on Friday night.
JetBlue and American Airlines planes sit at gates at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after the FAA lifted a ground stop in Washington, Nov. 14, 2026. REUTERS
Memphis had to fly home Saturday morning as well.
“Before the New Orleans game you could see a lot of chatter courtside and in the locker room about what was going to happen,” Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo said.
“We departed at maybe 11:30 when our original time was about 10 o’clock … instead of doing a morning shootaround on back-to-backs, a lot of times what teams do is a jog through here at the area, so you don’t come back twice.”
The Detroit Pistons had already flown to Miami, with the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies all having played Friday night and been expected to fly afterward, according to ESPN.
Friday saw a total of 9,132 cancellations and 7,030 delays. Saturday saw thousands more, with the numbers still growing.
Officials cited “extraordinary circumstances” caused by communications issues at regional air traffic control centers for the stoppage.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pointed to “old switches, old routers.”
The Nets had a jumbo lineup again Saturday, but not their leading scorer.
Michael Porter Jr. was out Saturday after being a late scratch due to personal reasons. But the backcourt was healthy, with Nolan Traore and Mikel Brown Jr. both returning after having missed the win in New Orleans.
The Nets went with Egor Dëmin, Danny Wolf, Noah Clowney, Julius Randle and Day’Ron Sharpe, every starter at least 6-foot-9, as they had been against the Pelicans. The Nets are the first team to do so since the Lakers on April 21, 1990.
Nov 14, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Cooper Flagg (32) looks to pass beside Cleveland Cavaliers forward Mario Hezonja (33) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dallas Mavericks (7-6) fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers (7-7), 127-117 in a Saturday night matchup on the road. The matchup followed Dallas’ 133-94 beatdown loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night. The Mavericks needed a bounce-back performance after Thursday night’s blunder, and failed to take advantage of a second-string Cavaliers team.
Max Christie, Sergio de Larrea, Dereck Lively, and Tarik Biberovic were out for the Mavericks. Cleveland was without Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, Jarret Allen, and Sam Merrill. The Cavaliers sat all their top players after being unable to leave Miami until 9 a.m. due to a nationwide FAA grounding, following their 133-121 loss to the Heat. The nationwide grounding led to a call from Mitchell to cancel the game.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 34 points, six rebounds, and five assists, with 28 of those points coming in the second half. Tyrese Proctor contributed 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, his first career triple-double, for the shorthanded Cavaliers.
The Mavericks struggled to defend the three early on, allowing Cleveland to make six threes in the first quarter, taking 58% of their shots from behind the arc. The Cavaliers, though shorthanded, had a hot hand early, allowing them to compete with the Mavericks in the first period. Caleb Martin was a bright spot for the Mavericks in this period, contributing nine first-quarter points as he continues to string together solid contributions in Dallas. Though the Mavericks couldn’t stop Meleek Thomas’s three-point shot early in the game, they walked into the second period at a 33-33 stalemate.
The Mavericks struggled offensively in the second period, letting their offensive mishaps affect how they defended the Cavaliers on the other end. The Cavaliers’ early hot hand from behind the arc faded away in the second quarter, but they were able to go inside, as the Mavericks continued to struggle to defend them. The Mavericks needed more from Cooper Flagg in this quarter, who went 1-of-6 from the field as the Cavaliers’ lead grew behind their 28-9 run in the quarter. Dallas walked into the intermission after giving up 38 points in the period, down 71-53, with a desperate need to punch back in the second half.
Dallas entered the second half uninspired to turn around its double-digit deficit, letting the lead swell to over twenty points. Dallas attempted to make a run midway through the third period, cutting the lead to 14, but continued to be unable to defend Cleveland to close the lead in any meaningful way. After a string of defensive stops, the Mavericks closed the gap with the Cavaliers, cutting the lead to 10. Irving provided a necessary 20 points in the third quarter when the Mavericks couldn’t find a bucket. Even then, the Mavericks entered the fourth quarter with a 14-point deficit to dig themselves out of. The Mavericks’ struggles seeped into the fourth quarter, despite everything Irving tried to do for Dallas. The Mavericks were unable to string together enough stops to fight back, falling 127-117.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday night’s loss.
Offensive woes on the road
The Mavericks’ offensive struggles continued on the road, shooting 39-of-94 from the field in the loss to Cleveland. Dallas needed someone to step up alongside Irving, but failed to take advantage of a less-talented group. This team needs more from guys like PJ Washington and Naji Marshall, who both shot poorly from the field in the loss to the Cavaliers. Off-nights from Flagg mean that someone else needs to answer the call, and the Mavericks failed to find someone to do so against Cleveland.
Cooper Flagg’s struggles
Cooper Flagg struggled in Saturday night’s matchup with the Cavaliers, finishing with 18 points on 6-of-19 from the field. He was unable to find his shot tonight, and it felt like he was trying to force himself out of his slump by trying to draw whistles that he didn’t get. He shot 0-of-6 from behind the arc tonight, though the Mavericks shot poorly from three as a whole. The Mavericks need more from Flagg, especially when facing a team missing its best players, because Irving can’t be left to do it on his own. Flagg’s youth showed tonight, and the Mavericks will need him to return to his All-Star-caliber self.
Kyrie Irving’s third quarter
Kyrie Irving’s 20-point third quarter gave the Mavericks a glimmer of temporary hope, with the Mavericks closing the Cavaliers’ lead to 10. He was able to find his shot in this quarter, giving the Mavericks the push they needed to try to close the gap on the Cavaliers. Irving finished with 34 points, with the Mavericks needing every last one. Irving has played like an All-Star since returning from his ACL tear, and tonight was another impressive showing, coming when Dallas needed it the most. The Mavericks were unable to find anyone to step up to the plate alongside Irving and play with some shame against the Cleveland B-team.
Up next
The Mavericks are back in action Sunday, as they travel to Boston to face the Celtics at the TD Garden. Catch the tail end of the Mavericks back-to-back at 5 p.m. CT on KFAA-TV and MavsTV.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 10: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks prepares before the start of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden on November 10, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was just a few months ago that you could’ve turned a Knicks game off and celebrated within the last five minutes if it was a one-possession game: that’s how automatic they were in the clutch.
Led by the former Clutch Player of the Year and an impeccable supporting cast, it seemed like every time they found themselves in a late and close situation, it was automatic after those two CJ McCollum games. Even going back further than that, this team’s ability to dig deep when they need it most has been the defining characteristic of the Jalen Brunson era.
With an identical roster back in 2026-27, you’d expect it’d be the same… except it’s not.
In the Knicks’ 6-6 start, they’ve played seven clutch games. They’ve lost six of them.
Not all clutch games are created equal, but all of these games were winnable. Even last night’s loss against Indiana, which I was saying felt like a “fake clutch game,” as the Knicks got a few buckets late to make it look close, they somehow managed to have the ball with a chance to send it to overtime at the buzzer.
One way or another, the Knicks have failed to win these games. The lone win, the high-scoring thriller in Chicago, was the only game where it’s felt like last season’s Knicks that found a way.
Overall, in their 1-6 record in clutch games, the Knicks have a minus-17.4 net rating, ranking 22nd in the NBA. They don’t do anything truly bad in these games, but they do nothing well.
Their turnover rate is league average, as is their assist rate. Their rebounding goes from dominant to so-so, but the real culprit is the putrid 50.7 TS%, which ranks 23rd. That’s the catalyst behind an offense that hasn’t worked in these situations.
If you exclude the Chicago game, they have a minus-40 net rating with an 82.9 offensive rating and an even rougher 44.4 TS%. All six of those games have come against the type of teams they’ve excelled against in postseason settings, but it just hasn’t happened so far.
Going game-by-game, it’s just a mess of missed opportunities.
In the season opener against Philly, the Knicks trailed by two with under three minutes to go. After giving up a dunk to VJ Edgecombe, OG Anunoby committed a back-breaking turnover in the open court that allowed Tyrese Maxey to score an easy layup. The Knicks never got closer.
The Boston game that followed it felt like a fake comeback at times, but the team got within one with 1:41 to go. While the Celtics never pulled away from there, Jayson Tatum never gave them a chance to come back with tough shot after tough shot.
The inability to get a stop, coupled with a bad moving screen by Karl-Anthony Towns in a crucial spot down three with 1:11 left doomed them to an 0-2 start.
Against Orlando, the game was tied at 91 at the five-minute mark, but the Knicks played so poorly over the next four minutes that they gave themselves no chance. On their next eight possessions, the Knicks went 0-for-3 from the field, 2-for-6 from the line, and had three turnovers.
In the NBA Cup game in Philadelphia, a stepback three from Brunson gave them a 90-89 lead with 1:32 left, but things would unravel after that. A clutch LeBron fadeaway and a triple from Edgecombe on the next two possessions hurt, but so did allowing a brutal offensive rebound after getting a stop with 12 seconds left.
Their biggest strength, rebounding, failed them.
Against Cleveland on Wednesday, it was tied entering clutch time and a one-point game with 3:26 left, but a peculiar decision to continue to blitz Donovan Mitchell at halfcourt allowed the Cavs to score on essentially every trip down.
One sequence that defined this one? Deuce McBride had a fastbreak layup down by five with 35 seconds to go, got stuffed, and Peyton Watson hit Jarrett Allen on an outlet for an and-1 to ice the game.
Miles McBride on this block by Peyton Watson:
“I thought it was a goaltend. The guys behind the bench said that as well.”
Would have cut the Knicks deficit to 3 points with a little over 30 seconds left. pic.twitter.com/xcP6ydCrQ2
Then, last night in Indiana, the undermanned Pacers did everything they could to throw the game away, giving the Knicks the ball down by two with 2.8 to go. They drew up a post touch for Towns, but it didn’t go.
Karl-Anthony Towns misses a buzzer-beater attempt for the tie.
I don’t hate the idea, but I really wish they used Towns’ newfound playmaking ability to their advantage by trying to free up a shooter on the right wing. If I have any criticism of this team’s late-game offense for years now, it’s too much isolation. There was enough time for a pass to at least be an option.
The team is shooting 38.9% in the clutch, a continuation of what’s been annoyingly persistent struggles with efficiency. They haven’t shot enough free throws to make conclusions there, but the regression we’ve seen from Towns and Brunson at the line has killed them in games where every point counts.
All told, this is something you expect to eventually reverse itself, but we’re getting to the point in the season where samples are getting bigger and bigger.
At some point, they have to start executing in general and consistently play as a cohesive unit for all 48 minutes.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 14: Caleb Martin #16 of the Dallas Mavericks goes to the basket against Tyrese Proctor #24 and Craig Porter Jr. #9 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Rocket Arena on November 14, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Dallas Mavericks 127-117 behind an inspiring effort from their reserves.
The Cavs played on a skeleton crew tonight, with most of their usual rotation sidelined after last night’s delay kept them in Miami longer than expected. Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Peyton Watson, and Jarrett Allen all sat out while Evan Mobley, Sam Merrill, and Nae’Qwan Tomlin were out with respective injuries.
The starting lineup tonight was Tyrese Proctor, Meleek Thomas, Jaylon Tyson, Mario Hezonja, and Thomas Bryant.
The trio of Proctor, Thomas, and Tyson, who have labeled themselves as ‘the pitbulls’, set the tone early by being hyper-aggressive and active on both ends of the floor. They combined for 41 points in the first half, doing a little bit of everything to help build an 18-point lead going into the locker room.
Proctor finished the game with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. It was the strongest game of his career and proof of concept that Proctor is a foundational piece of this team’s future.
Rocket Arena, which began the night feeling scorned by the stars who sat out, gave a hefty round of applause for the young group that showed up tonight.
Bryant and Hezonja deserve credit as well for serving as the veteran leaders of a younger, more inexperienced lineup. Hezonja scored 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting while Bryant added 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
Kyrie Irving scored 34 points and was given a warm reception both when he was announced in the Mavericks’ starting lineup and after the Cavs played a video of his iconic Game 7 shot over the Warriors. It was nice to see Irving play basketball back in Cleveland.
The Cavs also saw support from two-way prospect Norchad Omier, who added 13 points and 8 rebounds by hustling around the court all night. It’s performances like this that made a double-digit victory possible despite being short-handed.
Overall, the Cavs’ youth showed that you can accomplish a lot by simply playing hard. The cohesion that was shown by this group tonight should be kept in mind moving forward.
Cleveland is back home on Monday against the Chicago Bulls.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves will not play Sunday after suffering an injury on Nov. 11.
Reaves has a bruised heel and is considered day-to-day, coach JJ Redick said. Reaves and the Lakers’ medical staff opted against having imaging done on the injury.
Reaves is listed as "out" for Sunday's game on the NBA's injury reports released on Saturday, Nov. 14. It will be just the second game that he will have missed this season. He did not play in the Lakers’ 124-114 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 9 due to illness.
The initial injury diagnosis had left the door open for Reaves to potentially play against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, Nov. 15. But, he will not be suiting up.
How did Austin Reaves get hurt?
He suffered the injury in an awkward landing on his left heel after missing a transition dunk attempt in the third quarter Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Reaves and the Lakers had several days off to recover between games, but it apparently wasn't enough for the guard to be ready.
CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 14: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks smiles before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 14, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Kyrie Irving got a moment in the spotlight during the first timeout of Saturday’s game between the Dallas Mavericks (7-5) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (6-7) at Rocket Arena.
The home crowd roared in appreciation as Irving’s step-back 3-pointer to seal the Cavaliers’ Game 7 win over the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals was replayed on the video boards at midcourt.
Irving tapped his chest and thanked the crowd as the Mavs left their huddle to return to the floor with 7:32 left in the first quarter. He may not have left the Cavaliers on the best terms a season later, but that shot proved to be the clincher in the franchise’s first and only NBA Championship. He asked for a trade in the 2017 offseason, and the Cavaliers sent him to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Žižić, and a 2018 first-round draft pick.
The Cavs won Game 7, 93-89, scoring just 18 points in the fourth quarter that night. They held Stephen Curry and the Warriors to just 13 points down the stretch. Irving scored five, and someone named LeBron James had 11 as Cleveland claimed the title behind their own version of Batman and Robin.
The Cavs just played “The Shot” on the video board during the first timeout of the game to acknowledge Kyrie Irving. pic.twitter.com/ICaA0Lp2MY
“I wanted to prove everybody wrong, and I wanted to prove myself right,” Irving said in an interview with NBA.com before the game. “What a time. Shoutout to all of my teammates that were part of that team. It was a hard-fought season. I was coming off injury, going through a lot of emotions throughout the year and just being uncertain whether I could get back to the level I believed I could get back to. After we won, I was still like, ‘Is there more?’ Now when I look at this [shot], there’s just this appreciation of my youth, my fearlessness — things I attribute my success to today. Game 7, NBA Finals — that’s the pinnacle of any player’s career. ”
“I wanted to prove everybody wrong and… myself right.”
Kyrie Irving looks back on his ICONIC game-winning shot in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals 🗣️
He visits Cleveland for the first time this season at 7:30pm/et on NBA League Pass! pic.twitter.com/WpLljBxnQv
He rose up over Curry, kept his right elbow tucked and sank one of the most historic shots in NBA Finals history as a 24-year-old that night, just five years into what has blossomed into a 15-year, Hall of Fame-worthy career. He scored 26 points and pulled down six rebounds that night, just two games after putting together a 41-point masterpiece in the Cavs’ win in Game 5.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 06: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball against Dejounte Murray #5 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center on March 06, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Pelicans 118-116. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phoenix Suns are starting to work things out.
Winners of five of their last six, after a 1-5 start, the team is now 5-6 and recently beat the streaking Houston Rockets after outplaying them down the stretch. However, questions remain about starting guard Jalen Green’s fit as he continues to average career lows as a scorer and from three, and the team is lacking a starting-level point guard alongside Devin Booker.
Questions have further arisen about his future in Phoenix after NBA Insider Chris Haynes reported Friday that the Suns have interest in acquiring point guard Dejounte Murray from the Pelicans, who recently requested a trade. With the two making similar amounts, the teams could trade them for each other without including any additional salary. But with heightened expectations after a surprising 2025-2026 campaign, the Suns could be looking to deal Green to more than just New Orleans to help their point guard problem. His $36 million salary gives the franchise some flexibility if they can find a good trade partner.
Three trades for Jalen Green
Practical
Suns Receive: Jalen Green
Pelicans Receive: Dejounte Murray
A common trade structure, the aforementioned deal is a classic “my problem for your problem” type of deal. Similar to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers swap of Darius Garland and James Harden back in February, Green and Murray fit each other’s situation better than their current ones.
Now 30 years old and coming off a torn Achilles, Murray better fits a team looking to compete for the playoffs this season, and since Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver took over leadership in New Orleans, the Pelicans have been acquiring young players such as Jermiah Fears and Derik Queen to build for the future.
With rumors continuing to heat up about both guards’ futures, this seems like the most likely and easiest deal the Suns could pull off.
Possible
Suns Receive: Tyler Herro
BucksReceive: Jalen Green, 2027 First-Round pick (least favorable of Cleveland, Minnesota, and Utah)
While Herro would create the same problem Green does from a point-guard perspective, he’s a significant upgrade and would give the Suns a more efficient, reliable scorer. With the Bucks already out most of their future picks because of their failed efforts to build a competitive roster for Giannis Antetokounmpo during his final years in Milwaukee, and potentially facing punishment for the contract they gave Gary Trent Jr., the Bucks could be looking for every opportunity to add future draft compensation.
In the last year of his four-year extension he signed back in 2022 when he was with the Heat, the Suns would likely need some assurance that Herro would be willing to stay in Phoenix before making the deal, but he would be a major talent upgrade over Green and had the same college coach as Devin Booker in John Calipari.
Unlikely (But would be perfect for the Suns)
Suns Receive: Jrue Holiday
Trail Blazers Receive: Jalen Green, 2027 First-Round pick (least favorable of Cleveland, Minnesota, and Utah)
The Portland Trail Blazers already have too many guards, and adding another inefficient, G League Ignite alum guard alongside Scoot Henderson would not make sense for one of the league’s biggest surprises through the first four weeks of the season, even if it got them a first-round pick; acquiring Holiday would make a world of difference for the Suns.
Playing alongside Booker in multiple Olympics and facing off against him in the 2021 NBA Finals, Holiday is a proven veteran playing in a bench role because of the Blazers’ guard-heavy roster. He doesn’t need the ball to score and knows how to win at the highest level. He’s the only NBA player this decade with multiple Olympic Gold Medals and Finals victories. He’s made the playoffs six straight seasons and helped both the Bucks and Celtics break their 15+ year title droughts. Many consider him to be the piece that made Boston’s 2023-2024 team such a dominant one.
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Donovan Dent made a 3-pointer with just more than a second left to give LSU an 81-80 comeback win over No. 14 Gonzaga on Saturday.
Dent had 23 points and 10 assists to lead the Tigers (4-0) in the first meeting between the programs. The game was played off campus at Spokane Arena.
Davis Fogle missed a desperation shot at the buzzer for the Bulldogs (2-1). Fogle sank one of two free throws with 13 seconds left to make it 80-78.
Abdi Bashir Jr. had 15 points off the bench and Skyy Clark scored 14 for LSU. Freshman center Michael Ruzic added 12 points and 12 rebounds, also off the bench.
Braden Huff led Gonzaga with 18 points and 13 boards. Fogle finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
NO. 16 TEXAS TECH 88, STONEHILL 37
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Dakari Spear had 22 points, Jamichael Stillwell and Amari Barrett both had double-doubles and Texas Tech stretched its nonconference home winning streak to 50 games with a victory over Stonehill College.
Six players scored in double figures for the Red Raiders (4-0) on a day they were without three key players.
Stillwell had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Barrett had 13 points and 10 boards. Damarion Dennis also had 13 points, while Cruz Davis added 12 and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn 11.
The Red Raiders, coming off an 84-78 home win over No. 3 Illinois on Wednesday, have won 104 of their last 105 nonconference home games since December 2013.
The only loss in that span was 76-74 in overtime to No. 15 Kentucky on Jan. 25, 2020, which ended a school-record, 54-game win streak. They are 27-0 in nonconference home games under fourth-year coach Grant McCasland.
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 13: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks is defended by James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at American Airlines Center on March 13, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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