Cavaliers' Jaylon Tyson Injury Takes a Turn Before Bucks Game

A neck strain had Jaylon Tyson listed as questionable on Thursday. By Friday afternoon, the Cleveland Cavaliers had ruled him out of Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks with a right ankle sprain instead.

Tyson, a 23-year-old forward in his third season, gets his next chance Monday, when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit.

Nae'Qwan Tomlin is also out, with a stress reaction in his lower back, and center Khalifa Diop is on assignment with the Cleveland Charge in the G League.

Fear the Sword expects Cleveland to start James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen at Fiserv Forum, where tip-off is 8 p.m. ET. Nobody is on Milwaukee's injury report.

Right foot inflammation kept Meleek Thomas out in Atlanta, and he is questionable for Saturday. The 34th pick in June's draft out of Arkansas sat out the first two games before Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson went to him against Minnesota on Oct. 26, looking for a third ball handler next to Mitchell and Harden.

He scored 16 points in 19 minutes in a 127-125 overtime win, the second-most by a Cavaliers rookie coming off the bench in a debut. Brevin Knight had 18 on Oct. 31, 1997. Thomas explained his debut afterward.

"It is very rare to ride the coattails of a rookie riding into the half," Mitchell said. "For him to be the spark in his first game of the year is not normal."

Thomas signed a four-year, $9.3 million contract after scoring 85 points in his first three Summer League games, a rookie record for that span.

"Meleek understands things, he's intelligent, he asks questions," Atkinson said. "The vets love him. They appreciate him because he knows how to play, but also because he's receptive and curious. It's a rare profile. Really rare."

With Thomas sitting Thursday, Atkinson gave minutes to Tyrese Proctor and Craig Porter Jr. Proctor had 7 points and 6 rebounds. Sam Merrill, in 27 minutes, made 4 of his 8 3-pointers on the way to a season-high 16.

The Cavaliers were on the second night of a back-to-back and led by 15 early in the second quarter, then scored 16 points in the period. Atkinson drew a technical foul with 6:54 left in the half, and the Hawks tied it with a 13-2 run before taking a 46-44 lead into the break. Atlanta scored 43 in the third quarter.

Onyeka Okongwu's putback with 28.2 seconds left, off his fifth offensive rebound of the night, put Atlanta ahead 112-109. Cleveland got within one on a Mitchell finger roll, but Nickeil Alexander-Walker made two free throws at 15.3 and Mitchell missed twice from beyond the arc on the last possession.

Okongwu finished with 29 points and 12 rebounds on 11-of-17 shooting, 4-of-6 from deep. Atlanta had 15 offensive rebounds and won the glass 61-54.

"We got to do a better job securing rebounds, important rebounds," Atkinson explained.

Harden's 24 points were a season high. Mitchell needed 19 shots for his 22 and went 1-of-9 from 3, and Allen had 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Before Atlanta, Cleveland had won three in a row, and the 3-2 Cavaliers still landed ninth in a power ranking on Friday.

The Bucks enter 1-4 in their first season without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who now plays for the Miami Heat. Milwaukee lost its most recent game to the Houston Rockets.

After Monday's game against Oklahoma City, the Cavaliers' next NBA Cup game is Nov. 13 at Miami.