Sam Merrill made Cleveland Cavaliers history after his nine three-pointer performance.
Even though James Harden has dominated the narrative for the Cleveland Cavaliers over the last week, it was Sam Merrill who put on a show in the team’s dominant 138-114 win over the Washington Wizards to head into the All-Star Break.
Not only did the sharpshooter lead the Cavaliers in scoring in their recent win, but he also etched his name into record books, matching a few historic performances along the way.
Merrill set anew career-high with 32 points anew while shooting an ultra-efficient 11-for-12 from the floor and 9-for-10 from behind the arc. In the second quarter alone, Merril scored 17 points and made all six shots he attempted, four of which came from behind the arc.
This is a type of performance that the Cavlaiers haven’t seen in a long, long time.
Merrill scored 26 of his points in the first half, while shooting a perfect 9-for-9 from the field. This was the most points that a Cavaliers player has recorded without missing a shot in a half since the 2002-03 season.
With this stat line, Merrill is also the 10th player since the 2022 season to shoot 7-for-7 from behind the arc. Some other notable players who have accomplished this feat at D’Angel Russel (2023), Trevor Ariza (2014), and Ben Gordon (2012).
Jan 10, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) celebrates after hitting a three point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesMerrill is now also the first player in Cavaliers history to connect on nine or more three pointers in multiple games. The other came on February 2 against the Dallas Mavericks, where he also knocked down nine triples.
Merrill said that going on a run like that with the crowd cheering you on, with the bench jumping up and down, “Is fun… You just kind of feel like everything is going to go in.”
Cleveland’s head coach gave credit to Cleveland’s fans for understanding the history they were watching and cheering Merrill on even louder with each shot he made.
“The crowd was great, to appreciate that shooting exhibition, that was really cool. That was one of the coolest moments of the year.”
Merrill has had somewhat of an up-and-down season. The guard has played well when he’s on the floor, but injuries have caused him to miss some time.
With Cleveland’s new dynamic backcourtin Harden and Donovan Mitchell, this performance from Merrill is a great reminder that it’ll be the role players who help the team get deep into the postseason this spring.
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