Cavaliers lineup tweak pays off as Merrill helps topple Pelicans
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Sam Merrill returned to Cleveland’s starting five Tuesday night and immediately boosted the Cavaliers in a 127-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The guard, playing his second game after missing more than a month with a jammed finger, finished with 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said before tipoff that Merrill “connects the bigs and the smalls,” and his perimeter shooting alongside Darius Garland forced the Pelicans to stretch their defense.
With Merrill back, Jaylon Tyson shifted to a reserve role. Atkinson used Tyson and De’Andre Hunter off the bench, and Donovan Mitchell noted there was “so much unpredictability” when the starters checked out. Cleveland’s offense showed no stagnation and has shot well in back-to-back games.
Jarrett Allen set the tone inside against New Orleans’ physical frontcourt. The Cavaliers outscored the Pelicans 72-54 in the paint and owned a 27-18 edge in second-chance points. “My challenge with J.A.—he can do better,” Atkinson said, adding that with Evan Mobley sidelined, Allen is “our guy.”
Mobley, out with a left calf strain originally projected to keep him off the court for two to four weeks, is listed as questionable for the Christmas Day matchup at Madison Square Garden.
Mitchell continues to shoulder the scoring load, averaging a career-best 30.6 points per game and posting his highest usage rate since arriving in Cleveland. Atkinson said the arrangement is a short-term necessity: “Conference finals, Finals, we need more balance … but right now it’s on him.”
Source: HoopsRumors
