Merrill ended Friday's 118-117 win over the Hornets with 12 points (4-4 FG, 4-4 3Pt) and one rebound over 19 minutes.
Merrill was perfect from the perimeter, connecting on four triples en route to 12 points. A known sharpshooter, Merrill has now hit multiple three-pointers in three of the past four games. His skill set is limited to hitting the long ball, meaning his role is typically capped to no more than 20 minutes per game.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Ties season high with three steals
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Merrill chipped in five points (2-4 FG, 1-3 3Pt), four rebounds, four assists and three steals over 17 minutes during Friday's 142-105 victory over the Knicks.
Merrill's three steals tied a team-high output with Evan Mobley on Friday, also matching a season high that was set during the Dec. 23 win over Utah. The 28-year-old sharpshooter logged his fewest minutes since the Jan. 25 loss to Houston, and his playing time could begin to dwindle while a deep Cavaliers rotation continues to get healthier. Over his last seven outings, Merrill has averaged 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 3.1 three-pointers in 24.4 minutes while shooting 45.8 percent from three-point land.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Balanced outing in return to lineup
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Merrill closed with nine points (3-8 FG, 3-8 3Pt), six rebounds and two steals across 29 minutes during Monday's 128-107 victory over the Timberwolves.
Merrill returned Monday after missing Cleveland's previous contest due to personal reasons, putting forth a balanced outing while leading all bench players in rebounds and steals to go along with finishing one point short of the double-digit mark. Merrill matched a season-high mark in rebounds while posting his 16th outing with nine or more points.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Out for personal reasons
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Merrill (personal) is out for Friday's game against the Wizards.
Merrill won't play Friday for personal reasons, and his next chance to suit up for the Cavaliers arrives Monday against Minnesota. Isaac Okoro (shoulder) is also out, and it's unclear if De'Andre Hunter will be able to join the team in time for Friday's action. With Caris LeVert having been traded, Max Strus and Ty Jerome could be needed to handle heavy minutes against Washington.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Season-best outing as top scorer
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Merrill had 27 points (9-14 FG, 9-13 3Pt) and one rebound across 23 minutes during Sunday's 144-101 victory over the Mavericks.
Merrill shined offensively Sunday while coming off the Cleveland bench, leading all players in scoring and threes made while setting new season-high marks in both categories. Merrill previously held season highs of six threes made and 20 points, but he was red-hot in a blowout win to put together his best outing of the year.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Iffy versus Atlanta
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Merrill (illness) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Hawks.
Merrill is in danger of missing his second straight contest Thursday due to an illness. If the 28-year-old guard is forced to sit out yet again, Craig Porter and Jaylon Tyson could continue to receive increased playing time.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Ruled out against Miami
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Merrill (illness) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Heat.
Merrill will miss Wednesday's game for the Cavaliers as he battles an illness. The 28-year-old has missed only seven games for Cleveland this season, and in his absence in Miami, Georges Niang and Max Strus could see a boost in minutes.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Questionable for Wednesday
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Merrill is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Heat due to an illness.
Merrill was a late addition to the injury report and is in danger of missing the first leg of a back-to-back set. If Merrill is unable to play, Georges Niang and Max Strus could be relied on a bit more for their floor spacing.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Comes up empty from distance
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Merrill (ankle) finished with two points (1-4 FG, 0-2 3Pt) across 13 minutes in Thursday's 132-126 win over the Raptors.
Cleveland held out star guard Donovan Mitchell for rest purposes in the second leg of a back-to-back set, but the return of Merrill from a three-game absence due to a right ankle sprain helped restore some depth in the backcourt. The Cavaliers didn't turn to Merrill to absorb most of Mitchell's vacated playing time, as Caris LeVert (36 minutes) and Ty Jerome (20 minutes) were instead bigger beneficiaries. Assuming Mitchell is back in action for Sunday's game against the Pacers, minutes will likely be more difficult to come by for Cleveland's reserve guards and wings, and Merrill could even find himself outside of head coach Kenny Atkinson's rotation.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Ruled out Wednesday
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Merrill (ankle) is out for Wednesday's game against the Thunder, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.
Merrill was initially listed as questionable, but the former Utah State standout will miss a third straight game with a nagging ankle problem. His next chance to suit up will come Thursday against Toronto in the second leg of this back-to-back set.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Questionable for Wednesday
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Merrill (ankle) is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Thunder, Spencer Davies of SI.com reports.
Merrill and Isaac Okoro (shoulder) both went through a full practice Tuesday which included contact. Merrill has missed the past two games for Cleveland, but if his ankle responds well in the morning, he could potentially be available to return against the Thunder.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Not playing Sunday vs. Hornets
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Merrill (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Charlotte, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.
Merrill will miss a second consecutive game due to an ankle injury he suffered against the Lakers this past Tuesday. His next chance to play will be Wednesday against the Thunder. Caris LeVert, Ty Jerome and Max Strus will continue to see an increase in playing time off the bench for as long as Merrill remains sidelined.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Questionable vs. Hornets
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Merrill (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Hornets.
Merrill didn't play in the win over the Mavericks on Friday. Even though the questionable tag suggests there is a chance he suits up, a decision will likely be made closer to Sunday's 6 p.m. ET tipoff.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Ruled out against Dallas
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Merrill (ankle) has officially been ruled out for Friday's game against the Mavericks, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
After playing only eight minutes in the win over the Lakers on Tuesday due to a right ankle sprain, Merrill will not be able to play on Friday in Dallas. Cleveland will likely turn to Max Strus and Caris LeVert to pick up the slack with Merrill on the mend.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Doubtful for Friday
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Merrill (ankle) is doubtful for Friday's game against the Mavericks.
Merrill has an outside chance to play Friday, but the doubtful tag suggests that's an unlikely scenario. In the event that Merrill doesn't suit up, Caris LeVert and Max Strus should see more minutes off the bench.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Sprains ankle Tuesday
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Merrill is questionable to return to Tuesday's game against the Lakers due to a right ankle sprain, Spencer Davies of SI.com reports.
Merrill picked up an injury during the second quarter but continued to play through it until halftime. Caris LeVert and Max Strus could see more minutes if Merrill is unable to return. Merrill tallied zero points (0-1 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and one assist in eight minutes prior to checking out of the game.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Reverting to bench Friday
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Merrill is not in the Cavaliers' starting lineup for Friday's contest against the Nuggets.
Merrill made his second start of the regular season this past Monday against the Jazz and finished with 20 points (18 of which came from beyond the arc), four assists, one rebound and three steals over 24 minutes. Merrill will return to the bench for Friday's contest due to Dean Wade (knee) returning from a one-game absence.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Will play against Utah
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Merrill (quadriceps) is available for Monday's game against the Jazz, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Merrill was listed as questionable for Monday's game after sustaining a left quad contusion in Saturday's contest against the 76ers. He went through morning shootaround and is evidently feeling good enough to play. In the 10 games prior to his injury, Merrill averaged 7.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists over 21.0 minutes per game.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Questionable to play against Jazz
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Merrill (quadricep) is listed as questionable for Monday's game against Utah.
Merrill sustained a left quad contusion in Saturday's 126-99 win over the 76ers and was unable to return. The Cavaliers will presumably reassess Merrill's condition during their morning shootaround Monday before providing updates on his status leading up to the 7 p.m. ET tipoff. His potential absence Monday could help slightly raise the minutes floors of Caris LeVert, Ty Jerome, Georges Niang and Dean Wade.
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Cavaliers' Sam Merrill: Available, will suit up
Rotowire
Merrill (quadriceps) is available for Saturday's game against the 76ers.
Merrill was a game-time call for Saturday, but he'll be an option off the bench for Cleveland. He's averaging 7.1 points per game this season, so he's not expected to play a significant role in the second unit.
