Travel chaos across the United States forced the Cleveland Cavaliers to remain in Florida following their Friday night loss in Miami, Basket USA reported.
Severe air traffic disruptions left thousands of passengers stranded at airports and grounded the team after their game against the Heat. The unexpected delay created an immediate logistical hurdle for the franchise ahead of a quick turnaround.
“C’est une situation sans précédent. Un back-to-back, trois heures d’avion… C’était déjà compliqué. Mais s’ils nous disent qu’on doit jouer, alors on jouera,” Donovan Mitchell told Basket USA, expressing a preference for a postponement.
The team finally returned to Cleveland at approximately 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The disrupted schedule forced head coach Kenny Atkinson to manage a severely depleted roster for their subsequent matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Cavaliers played without several key contributors against Dallas, missing Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Peyton Watson due to the travel complications and subsequent roster management.
“Ça aurait pu être bien pire,” Kenny Atkinson told Basket USA regarding the hotel shortages and travel delays in Miami. “Nous avons eu de la chance de trouver un hôtel, car il y avait beaucoup de monde à Miami. Et nous avons eu de la chance de pouvoir partir et de rentrer assez tôt.”
Despite the high-profile absences and initial booing from the home crowd upon the announcement of the inactive list, Cleveland’s reserves stepped into expanded roles immediately.
Tyrese Proctor spearheaded the shorthanded lineup, leading the Cavaliers to a 22-point lead before securing a 127-117 victory over the Mavericks, Basket USA reported.
The Australian guard recorded the first triple-double of his career with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. The performance marked the first triple-double by a Cleveland player since Max Strus accomplished the feat in April 2024.
“Il faut continuer à se battre. Nous sommes souvent privés de joueurs. Nous avons un effectif vraiment profond. Il faut donc garder faim, rester prêt et répondre présent quand on fait appel à vous,” Tyrese Proctor told Basket USA.
Supporting performances came from across the bench during the victory. Mario Hezonja contributed 22 points, Meleek Thomas added 20, Thomas Bryant scored 19, and Jaylon Tyson finished with 18 points, according to Basket USA.
“J’aimerais que nos joueurs majeurs soient plus réguliers. On s’attend à davantage d’irrégularité chez les jeunes, mais ils ont dépassé mes attentes jusqu’ici,” Kenny Atkinson told Basket USA.
“Je ne pensais pas que Meleek Thomas jouerait 20 minutes par match, ni que Tyrese aurait autant de temps de jeu. Et j’adore ça, parce que notre marge de progression est vraiment intéressante,” Atkinson told Basket USA.
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