DETROIT — On his 28th birthday, Lonzo Ball will spend the night on the sidelines.
The Cavs guard will sit out Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons as part of the team’s plan to manage his health through the early stretch of the season.
Ball played 23 minutes — matching his exact minute total for each of the team’s first three games — in Cleveland’s 118-113 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. The team has placed him on a 20-to-25-minute restriction while holding him out of back-to-backs as they prioritize his availability for the playoffs.
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Prior to this new chapter in Cleveland, Ball appeared in just 70 games since the 2021-22 season. His return to the floor has been one of the NBA’s early feel-good stories, but the Cavs aren’t taking any chances.
“Those are obviously collaborative meetings,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said about deciding which end of a back-to-back Ball could miss. “I have my voice, I listen to Steve [Spiro] and the group, and we also talk to Lonzo to try to figure out what that looks like. It’s kind of multilayered. There’s a lot of things that go into that decision, but he’s got a voice too.”
Atkinson’s comments alluded to how matchups and team needs could influence when Ball is available.
Monday’s matchup will test Cleveland’s backcourt depth.
The Pistons are led by Cade Cunningham but will be at least without Jaden Ivey (knee). Guards Caris LeVert and Marcus Sasser are also listed as questionable, while Cleveland continues to deal with their own injury absences as Darius Garland (toe) and Max Strus (foot) remain out.
With Ball sidelined, Atkinson will turn to Craig Porter Jr. and rookie Tyrese Proctor to handle more minutes in the backcourt rotation. Both players have impressed in limited opportunities, and the Cavaliers will look for them to maintain tempo and defensive pressure against this fiery Pistons team.
Cleveland enters the second night of their first back-to-back of the season looking to extend their winning streak to three games while keeping one of their key pieces healthy for the long haul.
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