Sam Merrill Injury Update Isn’t Good News for Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers were already shorthanded on Friday night. They were without Jarrett Allen, their starting center, who had a right knee contusion and was ruled out due to injury less than an hour before tip-off against the Philadelphia 76ers. That absence slid Sam Merrill into the starting lineup for the Cavs along with Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Peyton Watson. Merrill has developed into a reliable contributor for the Cavs. He’s one of the purest shooters in the NBA. But he didn’t finish Friday’s NBA Cup matchup with the 76ers.