Cavs sit four starters against Mavericks after disrupted trip home

CLEVELAND — The Cavs played Saturday’s game against the Mavericks as scheduled. They just entered it without their entire usual starting lineup.

Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Jarrett Allen and Peyton Watson were ruled out after travel problems kept the team in Miami overnight following Friday’s loss to the Heat. Evan Mobley was already out with a left great toe sprain.

The Cavs flew out Saturday morning and arrived home around noon, leaving less than eight hours before tipoff at Rocket Arena. It was an unusually difficult turnaround at the end of a three-game road trip.

The four players had initially been listed as questionable. Mitchell was listed with a left knee contusion and injury management, Harden with left lower leg/calf tightness, Allen with right knee injury management and Watson with right hamstring injury management.

Sam Merrill also remained out with right elbow injury management, while Nae’Qwan Tomlin was sidelined with a low back stress reaction.

The travel disruption followed Friday’s nationwide ground stop. Although flights eventually resumed that night, the Cavs were unable to secure a pilot until Saturday morning and stayed another night in Miami.

Mitchell had expressed his preference for canceling Saturday’s game. Instead, the Cavs began the night with a heavily depleted roster against Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks.

The absences created considerably more responsibility for the available players, including Jaylon Tyson and Tyrese Proctor. Both contributed offensively in Miami, with Proctor scoring 22 points off the bench and Tyson adding 16.

The Cavs entered Saturday at 6-7 after the 133-121 loss to the Heat. Getting back to .500 became a tougher assignment before the ball even went up.