Cavaliers' Max Strus: Shines in season debut
Strus logged 24 points (7-9 FG, 6-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), eight rebounds and one assist in 23 minutes during Sunday's 130-120 loss to the Mavericks.
Strus made his 2025-26 regular-season debut in front of a home crowd Sunday, nearly eight months after undergoing surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot. He checked in at 4:53 mark of the first quarter and promptly got to work, nailing each of his first three attempts from beyond the arc. Strus scored an additional eight points on three of four field-goal attempts and finished as the Cavaliers' second-leading scorer behind Donovan Mitchell (26 points). It was a promising performance out of Strus, who played past his initial minutes restriction slightly (23). His return gives the Cavs a significant boost as they contend with the Celtics, Knicks and Magic for seeding in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
