The Cleveland Cavaliers ended a two-game road trip with a 110-100 victory over the Detroit Pistons last night.
While both Darius Garland and Evan Mobley each had a remarkable game for the Wine and Gold, another player had a substantial scoring performance off the bench.
Enter Sam Merrill.
The sharpshooter scored 12 points, shooting 4-for-9 from the field, with all of his field-goal attempts coming from three-point range.
Merrill’s 12 points, four three-pointers, and 25 minutes played were each his most in a game since January 24.
From December 16 through January 26, the Wine and Gold went 14-4 with both Mobley and Garland out with long-term injuries, which was the second-best record in the NBA in this span.
Merrill stepped up in a big way for the Cavaliers during this time, averaging 13.0 points in 22.7 minutes per game, and shooting 43.0% from beyond the arc in the 16 contests he played in. Also, his 3.6 three-pointers per game during this stretch ranked seventh in the NBA.
However, since Mobley (and eventually Garland) returned from injury, Merrill’s minutes had diminished. Before last night, the 27-year-old appeared in 12 of Cleveland’s next 15 games, averaging just 4.9 points and 1.5 triples in just 11.9 minutes per contest.
But with both Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert out of the lineup last night due to injury, Merrill once again stepped in when the Cavaliers needed him and made the most of the opportunity.
Up next, the Wine and Gold will host the New York Knicks tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
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