Tyrese Proctor posted the first triple-double of his career with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers, missing their entire starting five, stunned the Dallas Mavericks 127-117 on Saturday night at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

Key Points

• Tyrese Proctor recorded his first career triple-double with a career-high 24 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists in Cleveland's 127-117 win over Dallas on Saturday, 14 November 2026.
• The Cavaliers played without their entire starting five on the second night of a back-to-back after nationwide flight disruptions: Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Peyton Watson, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were all out.
• Mario Hezonja scored 22 points, Maleek Thomas added 20, Thomas Bryant had 19 and Jaylon Tyson scored 18 as the makeshift line-up built a 71-53 half-time lead.
• Proctor became the first Cavalier with a triple-double since Max Strus against Charlotte on 14 April 2024, and the second-youngest Cavalier ever with a 20-point triple-double, behind only Kyrie Irving.
• Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 34 points for Dallas, 20 of them in the third quarter, as the Mavericks lost their second straight game to open a three-game road trip.

What Happened

Cleveland took control early and never really let it go. The Cavaliers led 71-53 at half-time, and the lead stayed in double figures for much of the second half. Dallas pushed in the third quarter, when Irving scored 20 of his game-high 34 points, but every time the Mavericks threatened, Cleveland had an answer.

The decisive stretch came in the fourth quarter. Proctor hit back-to-back three-pointers to stretch the lead to 113-91, and the Mavericks never got closer than 10 again. He finished 10-of-19 from the field with four three-pointers, and his 11 rebounds tied his career best. Around him, the makeshift starters all reached double figures: Hezonja with 22 points, Thomas with 20, Bryant with 19 and Tyson with 18, a spread of scoring Dallas could not match even with Irving's 34.

Background: A Team That Started the Day in Miami

The result was remarkable for the circumstances as much as for the scoreline. Cleveland were playing the second night of a back-to-back, and the team began the day in Miami before taking a three-hour flight to Cleveland, a journey complicated by the nationwide flight disruptions snarling air travel across the United States this weekend.

By tip-off, the Cavaliers were without their entire starting five: Donovan Mitchell (knee), James Harden (calf), Peyton Watson (hamstring), Jarrett Allen (knee) and Evan Mobley (toe). The players who stepped in were not expected to carry a game against a Mavericks side led by Irving, who was facing the franchise where he won a championship in 2016. Instead, they produced one of the most complete team performances of Cleveland's season.

Tyrese Proctor Triple-Double: A Breakout Night for the Australian Guard

Proctor's night was the story of the game. The Australian sophomore guard had never recorded a triple-double before, and he reached it in style: a career-high 24 points, 11 rebounds to tie his career best, and a career-high 10 assists. He shot 10-of-19 with four three-pointers, and his two fourth-quarter threes, back to back, were the shots that put the game away at 113-91.

The history underlines how rare it was. Proctor became the first Cavalier with a triple-double since Max Strus against Charlotte on 14 April 2024, more than two and a half years ago, and the second-youngest Cavalier ever with a 20-point triple-double — only Kyrie Irving, on the other side of the court on Saturday night, did it younger. For a second-year guard still establishing himself, it was the kind of night that changes how a player is talked about, and it came when his team needed him most.

Reactions and Quotes

No post-game quotes were carried in the reports of the game, but the numbers told the story plainly enough. Five Cavaliers reached double figures without a single member of the regular starting five on the floor, and the team led by 18 points at half-time. The balance was the point: Hezonja's 22, Thomas's 20, Bryant's 19 and Tyson's 18 meant Dallas could not load up on any one player, and Proctor's triple-double tied the whole performance together.

For Dallas, the concern was the other end of the floor. Irving's 34 points kept the Mavericks in touch, but nobody else could match Cleveland's spread of scoring, and the Mavericks dropped their second straight game to open a three-game road trip.

Why It Matters

For Cleveland, the win is about depth as much as it is about one result. A team that loses its entire starting five in one night is supposed to lose badly. Instead, the Cavaliers won by 10 points, led by 18 at half-time and had five players in double figures. Cleveland's last big win also came short-handed, when Harden scored a season-high 32 points to beat the Knicks 115-107 at Madison Square Garden, and the two results together suggest this is a team that can survive injuries rather than collapse under them.

For Proctor, the night matters in a different way. A first career triple-double is a milestone for any young player, but doing it as the second-youngest Cavalier ever with a 20-point triple-double, in a game his team had no business winning, puts his name alongside Irving in the franchise record book. The Australian guard turned promise into a performance nobody in the building will forget.

What Happens Next

Cleveland will hope the injury list shortens quickly. Mitchell, Harden, Watson, Allen and Mobley are all starters, and no team can keep winning without them indefinitely. In the meantime, the players who filled in on Saturday have given the coaching staff something to think about: a bench that can produce 22, 20, 19 and 18 points on the same night is a bench worth trusting.

Dallas has two more games on its road trip to steady itself. The defensive problems that allowed a makeshift Cleveland line-up to score 127 points will be first on the agenda. Irving's 34 points showed he is in form, but the Mavericks need more around him, and they need it quickly. Elsewhere on a busy Saturday of basketball, No. 24 Kentucky needed a late three-pointer to escape Northern Arizona 78-77, a reminder that this was a weekend when the favourites were made to work for every win.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score between the Cavaliers and the Mavericks?
Cleveland beat Dallas 127-117 on Saturday, 14 November 2026, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland.

What did Tyrese Proctor finish with?
His first career triple-double: a career-high 24 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists, shooting 10-of-19 with four three-pointers.

Why were the Cavaliers short-handed?
Cleveland were without their entire starting five — Mitchell (knee), Harden (calf), Watson (hamstring), Allen (knee) and Mobley (toe) — on the second night of a back-to-back after nationwide flight disruptions.

Who else scored for Cleveland?
Hezonja scored 22 points, Thomas added 20, Bryant had 19 and Tyson scored 18.

How did Kyrie Irving play for Dallas?
Irving scored a game-high 34 points, 20 in the third quarter, as Dallas lost its second straight game to open a three-game road trip.