Max Strus game-winner: Travis Kelce joins social media applause for Cavaliers’ epic buzzer-beater

By | February 28, 2024
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Max Strus, take a bow.

The Cavaliers’ 2023-24 season has had its share of ups and downs. Tuesday’s win encapsulated the full experience in the span of just nine seconds, with Strus’ historic shot adding an exclamation point to the frantic finish.

The Mavericks took a late lead in Cleveland with 2.1 seconds remaining. With Cleveland out of timeouts and star guard Donovan Mitchell out of the game, Cavaliers appeared to be out of magic.

Then came Strus.

Evan Mobley quickly got the ball into the hands of the 27-year-old guard, who already had shown some fourth-quarter magic. And he had one more highlight left.

Strus heaved a 59-footer from well behind the half-court line with 1.2 seconds left. The shot found its target, sinking the Mavericks’ hopes and delivering Cleveland fans a stunning 121-119 victory.

“Don was out of the game so somebody else had to step up,” Strus told Bally Sports Cleveland after the game. “I got lucky that Don was out because you know he would’ve shot that one.”

The shot stands as the second-longest game-winning shot in the history of the 3-point era, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Here’s how Strus’ shot helped the Cavaliers pull off an improbable win — and got the attention of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

MORE: Five longest game-winners in NBA history

How Max Strus, Cavaliers stunned Mavericks

The Cavs and Mavs were locked into a close battle throughout the game. Though each team held double-digit leads at different points, neither team led by more than five points at the end of each quarter.

Following a missed shot from Luka Doncic late in the fourth, Mitchell made a 3-pointer with 1:52 left to put Cleveland back up 115-113. The Mavericks tied the game with 45.1 seconds remaining, but Mitchell went right back and sank another 3 with 29.1 seconds remaining to put Cleveland up 118-115.

Kyrie Irving made a jumper just six seconds later to make it a one-score contest once again, but the Cavaliers had possession and chance to run out the clock. With 8.1 seconds left, though, Mobley turned the ball over, sending a pass of bounds and giving Dallas the ball.

Cleveland brought out its defensive lineup, taking Mitchell out of the game. With 2.1 seconds left, P.J. Washington made a layup to give Dallas a 119-118 lead.

The Cavaliers had barely any time to respond with no timeouts and the defensive lineup on the floor, so they turned to the hot hand. And Strus, who already had 12 fourth-quarter points, added 3 more to secure the win.

“It’s up there,” Strus said when asked where Tuesday ranked among his all-time performances. “I still can’t even take it in right now, I don’t even know what happened, but I’m just happy we won. That’s it.”

Max Strus 3-pointers

With 3:57 remaining in Tuesday’s game, Dallas tied its largest lead of the night. Irving dropped in a layup to put the Mavericks up 110-100 over his former team.

That’s when Strus turned on the jets for the Cavaliers. He sank a 26-footer with 3:42 left. Just six seconds later, after an Irving turnover, Strus made a second 3-pointer. With 2:57 to play, Mitchell found Strus again for Mitchell’s third straight assist on Strus’ third straight 3-pointer, pulling Cleveland within four points of the lead.

Irving missed a layup, and on Cleveland’s next possession, Strus sank his fourth 3-pointer in the span of 67 seconds to make it a 113-112 contest.

His fifth 3-pointer of the quarter, though, proved his most memorable — that would be the 59-foot game-winner.

Strus is a career 36.1% shooter from behind the arc. Before Tuesday night, though, he was having a down year, shooting just 33.3% from 3-point range in his first season with the Cavaliers. 

Max Strus stats

Strus finished the game having gone 7-of-12 from the field and 7-for-10 from 3-point range, with 21 points overall. He also had four rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 26 minutes.

Strus’ 21 points trailed only Mitchell’s 31 among Cleveland players.

On the season, Strus is averaging 12.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 32.2 minutes per game.

Luka Doncic stats

Doncic came one miracle heave away from being the story of Tuesday’s contest. The Mavericks’ 25-year-old star went off against Cleveland, shooting 17-of-29 from the field, including 6-of-11 from 3-point range, to finish the game with 45 points. He also had 14 assists and nine rebounds, coming one shy of a triple-double.

Tuesday marked the 13th time in Doncic’s career he had reached at least 45 points. In all but one other game — a 99-97 loss to the Lakers in which Doncic had 45 — the Mavericks won.

And among his games with 45-plus points, only twice has he had more assists than the 14 from Tuesday.

Cavs buzzer-beater reactions

After a moment that could stand as the NBA highlight of the year, plenty of fans expressed their amazement at Strus’ heroics.

Those adoring fans included Cleveland-area native Travis Kelce of the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, as well as his quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

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