The Cleveland Cavaliers are fresh off a 118-113 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday and will look to improve to 3-1 in Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons at 7:00 p.m. ET.
However, Cleveland will add to its list of inactive players Monday. Lonzo Ball will miss the second leg of the team’s back-to-back set due to left knee injury management, according to the NBA’s official injury report. He’ll join Darius Garland and Max Strus on the sideline.
Ball has undergone multiple procedures on his left knee in recent years, including a cartilage transplant in March 2023. He has operated under a minutes restriction of slightly more than 20 minutes per game thus far and said at media day that he doesn’t expect to play in both halves of back-to-back sets early on in the 2025-26 campaign, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
As for playing back-to-backs, Ball says he doesn’t expect to play in both halves early on — he didn’t last year in Chicago when healthy — but that he could potentially start to as the season progresses, though he said it hasn’t been something he’s discussed with the Cavs yet. https://t.co/plmxectbI6
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) September 29, 2025
MORE: Cavaliers star Darius Garland receives positive injury update
What Lonzo Ball’s absence means for Cleveland
While Ball’s absence won’t affect the starting five, he has been a steady playmaker off the bench, averaging 22.7 minutes per game this season. Ball struggled with efficiency in the Cavaliers’ first two games, shooting just 1-for-11 from the field. However, he was productive in Sunday’s win, totaling 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal on 4-of-7 shooting.
With Ball and Garland both sidelined, Craig Porter Jr. and rookie Tyrese Proctor are candidates for increased minutes off the bench behind Donovan Mitchell and Sam Merrill.
As for Ball, his next chance to return will come in Wednesday’s matchup against the Boston Celtics, who will look to get their first win of the season against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.
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