With long-distance buzzer-beater, Cavs-Mavs becomes Max Strus appreciation night
When the basketball “experts” debate whether the Cavaliers can make a deep postseason run, the conventional thinking has been that the Cavs will only go as far as the “Core Four” will take them.
Assuming that the future rests squarely on the shoulders of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley isn’t a hot take. It’s a quick, superficial take that discounts the contributions of role players such as Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, Dean Wade and Sam Merrill – not to mention the fifth starter, Max Strus.
Strus showed just how valuable he is Tuesday night against Dallas when he singlehandedly rescued the Cavs in a game that was slipping away.
The Mavericks took a 108-98 lead with 4:38 left when Luka Doncic Kyrie Irving Maxi Klieber connected on a 3-pointer.
Soon after that, Strus went to work.
In the final 3:42, Strus drained five, count ‘em five, 3-pointers to will the Cavs to an improbable 121-119 home victory. He finished with 21 points (all 3-pointers), four rebounds and four assists.
The final half-minute of the game was pure madness.
With 23.8 seconds to go – and the Cavs clinging to a 118-117 lead – J.B. Bickerstaff called timeout after Irving hit a floating jump shot. Cavs ball.
Then, as the Cavaliers tried to play keep-away, Mavs forward Josh Green wrestled Garland to the floor. Inexplicably, there was no call, and the Cavs were forced to burn their final timeout with 9.2 seconds left.
“Beyond me how that’s missed at that point in the game,” Bickerstaff told reporters afterward.
In the absolutely nerve-racking sequence that followed, Mobley deflected Klieber’s inbounds pass but Doncic scooped up the ball, and Mobley and Isaac Okoro lunged for a potential steal. This freed up Doncic to drive toward the basket and dish to P.J. Washington, who seemingly iced the win for Dallas with a layup.
With 2.6 seconds left, Strus inbounded to Mobley, who immediately passed it back to Strus. Then, the Miracle of Rocket Mortage FieldHouse happened.
With exactly one second left on the clock, Strus – who hadn’t even advanced past half-court – launched a prayer of a shot that was nothing but net, giving the Cavs a 121-119 win.
Reportedly, the 59-footer was the second-longest game-winning shot of the 3-point era, dating back to the 1979-1980 season.
‘Absolutely Ridiculous’
After the game, Strus got doused with bottled water – and some well-deserved accolades.
“He was the guy, and that’s one of the things that we’re fortunate with this group is on any given night, we’ve got a guy who can step up and make huge plays,” Bickerstaff told reporters. “And what he did tonight was absolutely ridiculous.”
While Strus is known as a 3-point shooter, Bickerstaff emphasized that there are many other facets to Strus’s game that have been additive to the team.
“It’s as simple sometimes as chasing down a loose ball, or making an extra rotation,” Bickerstaff said. “Max never quits. We were down, and he had the same mentality. He wasn’t going to quit, and just kept making play after play after play on both ends.”
And then there are the intangibles that Strus brings to the table.
“The way that he plays the game with a determination, a never-give-in mentality and attitude, that inspires his teammates every single day,” Bickerstaff said. “When he chases a loose ball, makes another rotation, runs into an action, doesn’t get it, runs back into the action, doesn’t get it, he just is relentless, and that elevates his teammates.”
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