<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-fans-clown-max-strus-for-brutal-goose-egg-in-game-5-vs-pacers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs fans clown Max Strus for brutal goose egg in Game 5 vs. Pacers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Cavs-guard-Max-Strus-1-shoots.jpg"><figcaption>© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs fans clown Max Strus for brutal goose egg in Game 5 vs. Pacers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-13T21:46:48-07:00">May 13th, 9:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-13T21:46:48-07:00">May 13th, 9:46pm</time><address><a>Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-plants-his-flag-for-max-strus-as-clevelands-forceful-leader" rel="noopener">Max Strus has been taking the initiative</a> in the Cleveland Cavaliers locker room to be the team’s vocal leader; after all, Strus was the only one on the roster who’s made it all the way to the NBA Finals in the past, so he knows what it takes to be there for his team right in the trenches. In fact, prior to the Cavs’ season-ending 114-105 Game 5 loss to the Indiana Pacers, Strus <a href="https://twitter.com/grant_puskar_/status/1922425778488185255" rel="noopener">reportedly sent a text</a> to the team group chat, saying that “if you don’t believe, then don’t show up for work.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Max Strus: “If you don’t believe, don’t show up to work.” </p><p>Oh. My. God.  <a href="https://t.co/QY9Z2nN6Mg">pic.twitter.com/QY9Z2nN6Mg</a></p><p>— Grant Puskar (@grant_puskar_) <a href="https://twitter.com/grant_puskar_/status/1922425778488185255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>While Strus meant well with that text as he was simply rallying his team with the hope of igniting a spark that could lead to a 3-1 comeback, this text backfired rather quickly for the Cavs veteran. The 29-year-old wing may as well not have shown up during his team’s Game 5 loss, as he proceeded to go scoreless while missing all nine of his attempts from the field.</p><p>This is a rather embarrassing way to go out for Strus, who’s actually been one of the Cavs’ most consistent performers during their five-game series loss to the Pacers. It’s all the more embarrassing for him when it’s supposed to be him who should show up for his team and yet he vanished completely and was a complete black hole on offense in their season-ending loss.</p><p>“Max Strus shouldnt dribble another basketball in cleveland,” X user @Mike_Coop20 <a href="https://x.com/Mike_Coop20/status/1922511438569976000" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.</p><p>“Max Strus sent the Cavaliers group chat a text that read “If you don’t believe, then don’t show up for work” and proceeds to have this performance 😂,” @hennyruggsiii <a href="https://x.com/hennyruggsiii/status/1922509682838511873" rel="noopener">added</a>.</p><p>“LMAO strus should be the last brother texting anybody about anything,” @BreezeFMB <a href="https://x.com/BreezeFMB/status/1922509147276243162" rel="noopener">furthered</a>.</p><p>“max strus was a great example all series that talk is f**kin cheap,” @Israfil_Twitch <a href="https://x.com/Israfil_Twitch/status/1922508243374338148" rel="noopener">exclaimed</a>.</p><h2><b>Cavs collapse in the playoffs yet again</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Cleveland-Cavaliers-guard-Donovan-Mitchell.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Cavs’ playoff exits over the past three years have grown progressively more heartbreaking. In 2023, they lost because the lights became too bright. In 2024, they faced a deluge of injury problems that gave them zero chance against the eventual champion Boston Celtics. And then this year, the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-breaks-silence-on-saddening-end-of-clevelands-season" rel="noopener">Cavs saw their dream 64-win season come to a premature end</a> after wilting under the pressure against the Pacers.</p><p>The Cavs looked like a shell of their dominant regular-season selves; after posting the best offensive rating in the NBA this past season, they couldn’t buy a field goal in Game 5, with Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Max Strus combining to go 12-40 from the field.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs fans clown Max Strus for brutal goose egg in Game 5 vs. Pacers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-max-strus-power-dominant-game-3-win-over-pacers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus power dominant Game 3 win over Pacers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Donovan-Mitchell-drives-Cavs-Pacers_f0a1e6.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus power dominant Game 3 win over Pacers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-10T06:46:44-07:00">May 10th, 6:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-10T06:46:44-07:00">May 10th, 6:46am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With their season teetering on the edge, the Cleveland Cavaliers walked into Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 3 knowing only one outcome would do against the Indiana Pacers. Thanks to the determined leadership of Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-had-feat-lebron-james-never-did-cleveland-history">the Cavs didn’t just survive</a> their playoff battle. <a href="https://www.nba.com/game/cle-vs-ind-0042400203/box-score" rel="noopener">They dominated</a>.</p><p>Behind Mitchell’s 43 points and a gutsy all-around performance from Strus, the Cavs throttled the Pacers 126-104 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The victory trimmed the Pacers’ series lead to 2-1 and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-had-feat-lebron-james-never-did-cleveland-history">delivered Cleveland its first win of the second round emphatically</a>.</p><p>“We haven’t done anything,” Mitchell said. “We won one game [and] we got to do it again. … I told them, we’re not celebrating. We’re not smiling. We came here to take two games, and we did one.”</p><p>The urgency was unmistakable. Three days earlier, the Cavs had suffered a soul-crushing Game 2 collapse, blowing a 20-point lead and falling at home on a Tyrese Haliburton buzzer-beater. In Game 3, they responded with force, fueled by Mitchell’s relentless scoring and Strus’s poise under pressure.</p><p>Mitchell, nursing a strained calf, was masterful. He poured in 14 points in the fourth quarter alone. He added nine rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes, joining LeBron James as the only players in Cavs history with consecutive 40-point playoff games.</p><p>“I thought he was masterful,” Kenny Atkinson said of Mitchell. “I don’t use that word hardly ever. He was masterful in the way he controlled the game, passing, making the right decision, [and] defending.</p><p>“He’s orchestrating his game. But he’s orchestrating the pieces around him. And I thought tonight he was probably the best I’ve seen him all year, just especially with the pressure they were putting on him.”</p><h2><b>Max Strus was on the loose for the Cavs in Game 3</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Max-Strus-shoots-Cavs-Pacers.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Strus, meanwhile, turned in another quietly sensational outing. He scored 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including four three-pointers, and chipped in seven rebounds, seven assists, and a block. Just as crucially, Strus helped the Cavs smother Haliburton, who was limited to a playoff career-low four points.</p><p>In this win, the Cavs needed their leaders. They showed up when it mattered most. After Indiana cut an 18-point deficit down to 11 early in the fourth, Gainbridge Fieldhouse came alive. The momentum swung. T.J. McConnell and Pascal Siakam fueled a mini-rally. But Mitchell and Strus answered.</p><p>Out of a timeout, Mitchell corralled an offensive rebound, reset the offense, and buried a tough turnaround jumper over Siakam. After a layup from Bennedict Mathurin, Mitchell hit a step-back three over Aaron Nesmith. Then came the dagger. A routine drive-and-kick to Strus, who drilled a wing triple to push Cleveland’s lead to 112-95 with under seven minutes remaining.</p><p>“That’s why Donovan Mitchell is Donovan Mitchell,” said Strus. “The guy’s a superstar, and he showed you why. We’re always going to rely on Don to carry us and take us home. And he did just that.”</p><p>Strus, acquired in a sign-and-trade after a Finals run with the Miami Heat, has embraced a vocal leadership role, demanding accountability in film sessions and huddles. His battle-tested edge has been invaluable.</p><p>“He knows what it takes just to get to the next level, the next round,” Darius Garland said. “He puts his body and damn near life on the line for us. We really appreciate Max. [He’s] shooting the hell out [of] the ball right now, playing really good defense on any guard that we put him on [and] he’s playing his heart out.”</p><h2><b>It wasn’t just the Donovan Mitchell show in Game 3</b></h2><p>That steady resolve has defined Mitchell throughout this postseason. In Game 2, he was a one-man show. In Game 3, he remained dominant but was flanked by a fully engaged squad, including the long-awaited return of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter from injury.</p><p>Mobley tallied 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Garland added 10 points despite still not being at full strength. Jarrett Allen posted a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double. The Cavs were finally whole again, and it showed.</p><p>But despite the win, Cleveland still isn’t satisfied. Game 4 awaits Sunday night in Indianapolis, and the Cavs came to take two. They’ve taken one. But if Mitchell and Strus have anything to say about it, they’re not done.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus power dominant Game 3 win over Pacers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-plants-his-flag-for-max-strus-as-clevelands-forceful-leader');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kenny Atkinson plants his flag for Max Strus as Cavs’ ‘forceful leader’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Cavs-guard-Max-Strus-1-celebrates-a-made-basket.jpg"><figcaption>© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kenny Atkinson plants his flag for Max Strus as Cavs’ ‘forceful leader’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-09T21:19:52-07:00">May 9th, 9:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-09T21:19:52-07:00">May 9th, 9:19pm</time><address><a>Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Max Strus is the guy on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster who’s made it the farthest in the playoffs, having made it to the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat in 2023. And Strus’ playoff experience is showing as the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-espn-insider-optimism-despite-pacers-2-0-lead">Cavs face a mountain of adversity</a> in their second-round matchup against the Indiana Pacers. Facing a must-win scenario in Game 3, Strus had himself another excellent game in support of the brilliant Donovan Mitchell, tallying 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in a 126-104 win.</p><p>When the Cavs signed Strus in the summer of 2023, they banked on him to provide a different dimension to their offense as a shooter who thrives off movement. But they have clearly gotten more than what they expected; Strus not only has been flashing a more well-rounded game as a passer and defender, he’s also been a very crucial part of the team’s locker room as a leader who <a href="https://x.com/NBA/status/1921046880651248048" rel="noopener">speaks up and leads by example</a>.</p><p>“He’s becoming our forceful leader. I haven’t seen him so aggressive, leadership-wise,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said in his postgame presser, via the official NBA account on X (formerly Twitter). “He’s really kinda taken hold of all the huddles, film sessions. His spirit’s phenomenal. And he’s on guys [when] you miss an assignment. He’s kind of our enforcer right now.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🎙️ "He's becoming our forceful leader."</p><p>CLE's Kenny Atkinson after the Game 3 road win gives high praise to Max Strus who scored 20 points and drilled 4 threes! <a href="https://t.co/0jKofZBooN">pic.twitter.com/0jKofZBooN</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1921046880651248048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>This Cavs team is young; Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are 25 and 23 years of age, respectively, and they haven’t made it past the second round of the playoffs. Even Mitchell hasn’t made it yet to a Conference Finals. And from an experience and age standpoint, it’s not a surprise at all to see Strus take initiative and be the one to set the tone for his team, especially when they’re facing immense pressure to succeed in this year’s playoffs after the brilliant regular season that they had.</p><h2><b>Cavs’ Max Strus is a man of his word</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Cavs-guard-Max-Strus-1-high-fives-with-head-coach-Kenny-Atkinson.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Max Strus was partially at fault for the Cavs’ collapse near the end of Game 2; he threw a wayward inbounds pass that set off the chain of events that ended with Tyrese Haliburton’s heartbreaking game-winning triple.</p><p>After that game, <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-max-strus-drops-truth-bomb-after-painful-game-2-collapse-vs-pacers">Strus said that he and the Cavs must be better</a> in protecting leads, and they followed through on that on Friday night. The Pacers never give up, but the Cavs stopped every comeback attempt in the second half, and there’s no doubt that Strus’ leadership played a part in them keeping their poise on the road.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kenny Atkinson plants his flag for Max Strus as Cavs’ ‘forceful leader’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-max-strus-drops-truth-bomb-after-painful-game-2-collapse-vs-pacers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Max Strus drops truth bomb after painful Game 2 collapse vs. Pacers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Cavs-guard-Max-Strus-1-defends-Indiana-Pacers-guard-Tyrese-Haliburton.jpg"><figcaption>© David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs’ Max Strus drops truth bomb after painful Game 2 collapse vs. Pacers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-06T20:33:10-07:00">May 6th, 8:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-06T20:33:10-07:00">May 6th, 8:33pm</time><address><a>Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For much of Game 2, everything was <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-not-freaking-out-shocking-game-1-loss-pacers" rel="noopener">going according to plan for the Cleveland Cavaliers</a>. Despite being without Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and De’Andre Hunter, the Cavs were in command, thanks in large part to another bonkers performance from Donovan Mitchell, who finished with 48 points on the night after making a concerted effort to attack the basket. But in the end, the Cavs blew it in the final 30 seconds of the game — with Max Strus’ turnover on the inbounds play while up by three setting in motion the events that led to Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winner in a 120-119 loss for Cleveland.</p><p>It’s quite a shame that it’s Strus of all people who was charged with a very costly turnover after he stepped up all night long to give Mitchell and the Cavs some scoring support amid the absences of two of the team’s best players. Now down 2-0 after two games at home, the Cavs are in real danger of seeing their dream season come to a premature end.</p><p>All Strus can do is reflect at <a href="https://x.com/RealDCunningham/status/1919940060138328240" rel="noopener">how high the standards</a> the Cavs must set for themselves if they were to save their season after a devastating Game 2 loss.</p><p>“A minute left, up seven, can’t lose that one. Gotta be better,” Strus said following the Cavs’ loss, per Danny Cunningham of The Inside Shot.</p><p>To mount a deep playoff run that culminates in winning the NBA championship, teams must hold themselves to the highest of standards. The margins separating a win and loss are razor-thin, and the Cavs simply cannot let a seemingly comfortable lead in the final minute or so of the ballgame slip away from their fingertips.</p><p>At the end of the day, the Cavs’ season is far from over. They must enter Game 3, however, with the mindset that their season could very well be coming to an end if they don’t win.</p><h2><b>Cavs figure out the hard way that no lead is safe</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Donovan-Mitchell-passes-Michael-Jordan-with-crazy-Game-1-feat.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In the NBA playoffs, especially in the second round, there isn’t much separating the remaining teams in terms of roster quality. Thus, there is no such thing as a safe lead, and the Cavs learned that the hard way after relinquishing a seven-point lead with around 57 seconds left in Game 2 against the Pacers.</p><p>Perhaps in Game 3, things will be <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-leaves-fans-stunned-early-poster-dunk-game-2-pacers" rel="noopener">more smooth-sailing for the Cavs</a> on the road, provided, of course, that Evan Mobley and Darius Garland return. They must shake off the emotional impact of this stunning Game 2 loss and have the memory of a goldfish moving forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Max Strus drops truth bomb after painful Game 2 collapse vs. Pacers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-cleveland-has-fixed-issue-that-stunned-max-strus-when-he-first-signed');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs have fixed issue that ‘stunned’ Max Strus when he first signed');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Cavs-guard-Max-Strus-1-high-fives-with-head-coach-Kenny-Atkinson.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs have fixed issue that ‘stunned’ Max Strus when he first signed</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-28T01:43:02-07:00">April 28th, 1:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-28T01:43:02-07:00">April 28th, 1:43am</time><address><a>Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-darius-garland-game-4-status-heat-2-word-kenny-atkinson-treatment" rel="noopener">Cleveland Cavaliers are well on track</a> to make it to the second round of the playoffs, as they have the Miami Heat on the ropes in their first-round matchup after taking a 3-0 lead courtesy of a 124-87 win on Saturday. On Monday, the Cavs have a chance to officially send the Heat packing — with Max Strus on course to bid his former team a farewell.</p><p>Strus signed with the Cavs last offseason after Cleveland saw his skillset as a missing piece to their offense; the 29-year-old excels in moving around the court, with his gravity opening up plenty for the team’s scoring attack. And while Strus seemed to be an addition that needed no adjustment period whatsoever, the 29-year-old wing needed some time to process the change that came from adapting to the Cavs’ locker room culture after spending the formative years of his career with the Heat.</p><p>The Cavs wing revealed that he was quite shocked at how immature the locker room was in Cleveland compared to when he was with the Heat; the Heat Culture was one of discipline, and the Cavs were relatively more lax. But now, Strus has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6313294/2025/04/26/cleveland-cavaliers-miami-heat-game-3-trash-talking/" rel="noopener">seen his team grow</a> before his very eyes as they prepare for what they’re hoping will be a championship run.</p><p>“We’ve matured a lot,” Strus said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “It comes with the more you get around guys, the more you play together, the more experience you have. So I think it’s just after last year’s playoffs, I think guys came back this year ready and prepared. Grew up a little bit, I guess you could say. But yeah, it’s been fun watching our younger guys grow and learn and be in these positions.”</p><p>Strus and the Cavs can mature even further by taking care of business in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Heat later tonight at 7:30 PM E.T.</p><h2>This Cavs team has been forged in the fires of playoff heartbreak</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Cavs-All-Star-Donovan-Mitchell-Cavs-head-coach-Kenny-Atkinson-1.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It takes some time for a young team to mature, and the Cavs had to learn how to grow the hard way after falling short in the playoffs over the past two seasons. In 2023, they were punked by the New York Knicks as the Cavs couldn’t keep up with their physicality, and then in 2024, injury woes ended up being their undoing.</p><p>But this year, the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-makes-cleveland-playoff-history-not-even-lebron-james-achieved" rel="noopener">Cavs team is healthy and locked in</a>, and they’re poised to make it deep into the playoffs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs have fixed issue that ‘stunned’ Max Strus when he first signed

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/miami-heat/heat-news-bam-adebayos-nsfw-reaction-to-max-strus-giving-cavs-tips-on-miami');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bam Adebayo’s NSFW reaction to Max Strus giving Cavs tips on Heat');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Bam-Adebayo-on-March-5-202.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bam Adebayo’s NSFW reaction to Max Strus giving Cavs tips on Heat</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-20T13:10:11-07:00">April 20th, 1:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-20T13:10:11-07:00">April 20th, 1:10pm</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/heat-vs-cavaliers-game-1-prediction-odds-pick-spread-for-nba-playoffs-2025">Miami Heat taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers</a> in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, it will be another marchup where players will reunite with former teammate Max Strus. Before the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/miami-heat/heat-news-bam-adebayo-reveals-first-goal-miami-must-hit-to-ruin-historical-cavs-season">Heat try to steal a game in Cleveland</a>, star Bam Adebayo didn’t hesitate when talking about Strus posisbly giving tips about the team to his current squad.</p><p>It started when Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson revealed that Strus was the <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/heat/news/miami-heat-open-nba-playoff-series-at-cleveland-cavaliers-as-heavy-underdog-01js76td84b5" rel="noopener">“most vocal,”</a> according to Sports Illustrated, when the team was watching film on Miami since he was on the team from 2020 to 2023.</p><p>“He was most vocal in film today and added three or four tidbits, a couple of strategic points on their style of play,” Atkinson said about Strus preparing the team for the Heat going into Game 1 Sunday night. “He knows the personnel. Gave a couple of things the coaches didn’t bring up.”</p><p>When a member of the media would ask Adebayo about Strus advising Cleveland about Miami, <a href="https://x.com/legionhoops/status/1914013712660480021?s=46" rel="noopener">he would have an NSFW response.</a></p><p>“I don’t give a f*** about Max Strus,” Adebayo said via Legion Hoops.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I don’t give a f*** about Max Strus.”</p><p>— Bam Adebayo on Max Strus giving Cavs coaches tips on the Heat 😬</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/HeatCulture13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HeatCulture13</a>)<a href="https://t.co/kQQexNBQZm">pic.twitter.com/kQQexNBQZm</a></p><p>— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/1914013712660480021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Adebayo would then be asked if tips from Strus would even benefit the Cavs, but the captain would speak on how different the team is since his former teammate was with them.</p><p>“Whole different scheme, whole different lineup, different personnel, so it’s not the same,” Adebayo said.</p><h2><b>Heat’s Tyler Herro on Max Strus</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tyler-Herro-on-Jan.-29-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Rassol-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/miami-heat/heat-news-bam-adebayo-calls-out-tyler-herro-haters-for-throwing-name-in-mud">no doubt that Heat star Tyler Herro will</a> lead the offense to overexceed expectations against the Cavaliers, especially as the team has immense momentum after making history being the first tenth seed to make it through the play-in tournament. Herro scored 38 points in the win over the Chicago Bulls, 30 against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, and looks to keep up the production in Cleveland.</p><p>Herro would also be asked about Strus and how it feels facing off against him in a playoff atmosphere, to where the 25-year-old <a href="https://youtu.be/EMq8GrKUIwA?si=EqyP4h_qFyABiPd0" rel="noopener">had a simple response.</a></p><p>“Good, very good,” Herro said, according to video from the team’s YouTube account.</p><p>Like Adebayo, Herro would also receive a question about Miami’s system since Strus was with the team, and if his tips to the Cavaliers could be useful. How Herro responded could best be taken as a sarcastic reaction, as he responded with “he knows exactly what we’re doing.”</p><p>“I think everything’s the same,” Herro said. “The exact same. We’ve been doing the exact same stuff for two years, so he knows exactly what we’re doing.”</p><h2><b>Heat’s Erik Spoelstra speaks about scouting Max Strus</b></h2><p>There’s no doubt that many <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/miami-heat/4-miami-heat-bold-predictions-for-cavs-series-in-2025-nba-playoffs">predictions will have the Cavs beating the Heat</a> since the latter is an eighth seed facing off against the No. 1 seed. History has shown six other teams accomplishing such a feat, though the last was Miami during their 2023 miraculous run.</p><p>Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra would also be asked about Strus giving tips to Cleveland.</p><p>“I don’t know what he’s talked about. Maybe it’s stuff from this year,” Spoelstra said.</p><p>“It depends on the circumstance,” Spoelstra continued about them scouting Strus. “Yeah, sometimes personnel things, just depends.”</p><p>The Heat look to get up 1-0 against the Cavs on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bam Adebayo’s NSFW reaction to Max Strus giving Cavs tips on Heat

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-why-max-strus-exit-hurt-jimmy-butler-heat-relationship');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Why Max Strus’ exit hurt Jimmy Butler’s Heat relationship');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Why-Max-Strus-exit-hurt-Jimmy-Butlers-Heat-relationship.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Why Max Strus’ exit hurt Jimmy Butler’s Heat relationship</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-13T14:41:14-08:00">January 13th, 2:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-13T14:41:14-08:00">January 13th, 2:41pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Miami Heat</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jimmy <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-news-prominent-miami-wondered-aloud-jimmy-butler-trade-saga">Butler is still trying to get traded</a>, and apparently, his distaste for the Miami Heat started way before this season. Butler and Heat had been successful over the past few years, and it was because of the chemistry and comradery that the group had playing together. That all changed when Caleb Martin, Max Strus, and Gabe Vincent left the past two years, which shaped the way Butler viewed the team.</p><p>One of the <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/the-crumbled-chemistry-beneath-jimmy?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=154722219&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">toughest pills to swallow</a> for Butler was the departure of Strus, according to Marc Stein.</p><p>“Butler is said to have viewed Strus as a brother — someone who could match the All-Star’s sarcastic (some call it abrasive) sense of humor,” Stein wrote. “They hatched a celebrated handshake routine, featured often in Instagram posts and punctuated by the players flipping each other off with shared tongue-in-cheek zeal. Several people who knew that edition of the Heat well cited Strus as an instrumental figure in keeping Butler steady within the greater team dynamic.”</p><p>Strus was a key factor for the Heat making it to the NBA Finals in 2023 and served as a quality three-point shooter for the team. Martin and Vincent also played big roles in the Heat’s success that season, and they never were really able to replace their production. Now the Heat look like they’re going to suffer the same fate with Butler if they’re not able to get anything of good value in return for him if he’s traded.</p><h2>Heat still can’t find trade for Jimmy Butler</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Jimmy-Butler_a83727.jpg"><figcaption>Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As Jimmy Butler’s seven-game suspension is almost coming to a close, it’ll be interesting to see what happens moving forward if they can’t find a trade for him. Butler let it be known that he would like to be traded from the Heat and he doesn’t have joy playing for the team, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone willing to take him.</p><p>The one team that has stayed consistent through this process with their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-everybody-knows-jimmy-butler-wants-suns-trade">interest in Butler is the Phoenix Suns</a>, the problem is that Bradley Beal would have to be in any deal for him. That’s a problem because Beal has a no-trade clause, and he can decide if the trade goes through or not.</p><p>Beal was recently moved to the bench but has been playing well in the role, and if the Suns keep winning, there may not be any urgency for them to make a move.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Why Max Strus’ exit hurt Jimmy Butler’s Heat relationship

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-high-praise-max-strus');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson has high praise for Max Strus’s new role');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Kenny-Atkinson-has-high-praise-for-Max-Struss-new-role.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson has high praise for Max Strus’s new role</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-12T10:23:30-08:00">January 12th, 10:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-12T10:23:30-08:00">January 12th, 10:23am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Throughout the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been the best team in the NBA. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-cleveland-depth-greatest-strength">Much of that can be attributed to Cleveland’s dynamic bench</a>, which gives the Cavs a spoil of riches in their rotations. However, diving deeper into Cleveland’s mob, you’ll quickly notice that Max Strus, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-plan-starting-small-forward">a staple in the Cavs’ starting lineup last season</a>, is a member.</p><p>That might seem surprising after Strus gave a definitive yes on his status as a starter last year. Even more so when, initially, the plan was for him to regain that starting status after Strus’s minute restriction <a href="https://x.com/AmNotEvan/status/1870242124165235161" rel="noopener">after a nagging ankle injury</a> was lifted. However, with how Cleveland has been rolling, it’s unclear if Strus will regain that role this season. That decision doesn’t have anything to do with his play. Instead, it’s because what Strus is bringing to the team in his current role has helped fuel the Cavs’ on-court success.</p><p>“I’m not committed to [Strus continuing to come off the bench], but I love it,” said Kenny Atkinson after Cleveland’s win over the Toronto Raptors. “In a sense, he’s just such a great spark of energy. But I think this spot is going to be matchup-based. It’s going to be who’s in rhythm? Who are we playing? So there’s nothing set in stone with that, but he’s played great in that sixth-man role.”</p><h2><b>Max Strus has been huge during the Cavs’ 12-game winning streak</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Max-Strus-dribbles-Cavs-Warriors.jpg"><figcaption>John Hefti-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>To Atkinson’s credit, Strus has been sensational as a member of Cleveland’s bench mob. In nine appearances, Strus has averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 23.3 minutes per game. He has also connected on 38.8% of his three-point attempts this year, giving the Cavs even more spacing. Those numbers are all from Strus coming off the bench, making it even more impressive. However, in Cleveland’s last two games, including a statement win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Strus was critical for the Cavs.</p><p>Strus went 5-6 from beyond the arc with 17 points and five assists in Cleveland’s win over Oklahoma City. He followed it up with 12 points the following night on 4-7 shooting from three to help a lifeless team get rolling against the lowly Raptors. The consistency, energy, and edge Strus brings to the Cavs is priceless. It’s what has fueled their 12-game winning streak and why Atkinson has hesitated to change Strus’s current role.</p><p>“All the cliches that people have been saying about him in this league forever [are true],” Atkinson said. “He plays like the guy that’s still trying to make the league. I feel like he’s a guy on a two-way path. That’s how hard he plays. There’s no privilege in his game. It’s all toughness and grit. [He’s a] winning, winning player.”</p><h2><b>Can Max Strus become Cleveland’s super-charged Sixth Man?</b></h2><p>Before Strus made his regular season debut, Atkinson admitted to the media he was anxious to see Strus play. Strus missed most of the preseason with a hip injury, and after suffering a high ankle sprain, Strus missed nearly the first 30 games of the Cav’s regular season.</p><p>That missed time didn’t allow Strus to find comfort and familiarity in Atkinson’s offensive system. It was also hard for Atkinson since he wanted a better feel for Strus as a player. The only way that would happen was with on-court reps.</p><p>Thankfully, Atkinson’s anxiety was put at ease when Strus eventually debuted. However, that same anxiety was annihilated once it became clear how naturally Strus fit into how the Cavs function on offense.</p><p>The Cavs <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/player/4723/lineups#tab-four_factors" rel="noopener">have outscored opponents</a> by 10.0 points per 100 possessions with a 125.7 offensive rating (99th percentile) when Strus is on the floor. His movement off-ball has allowed him to seamlessly fit into what the team is doing offensively. As was the case for most of last season, it’s what Strus does aside from being a three-point shooter that makes him so valuable.</p><p>That value leads to an easy three-pointer. It can also lead to Strus finding an easy assist from an open teammate elsewhere. Clearly, Strus’s fit so far has been seamless, and the swingman continues to thrive no matter what Atkinson needs from him.</p><p>“Kenny’s been great,” Strus said to ClutchPoints. “He gives us the confidence to be ourselves and play basketball how we want. He pushes us to play the right way.</p><p>“I think that’s something that I’m pretty good at: playing basketball right away by moving the ball, swinging the ball, and playing off each other. That’s what he believes in, what I believe in, and how I built my career. So, I think we meshed together pretty well. I’m happy to be playing for him.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson has high praise for Max Strus’s new role

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-max-strus-sends-return-message-to-cleveland-fans-after-win-over-bucks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Max Strus sends return message to Cavs fans after win over Bucks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cavs-news-Max-Strus-sends-return-message-to-Cleveland-fans-after-win-over-Bucks-Cavs-Nation.jpg"></figure><h1>Max Strus sends return message to Cavs fans after win over Bucks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T20:13:27-08:00">December 20th, 8:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T20:13:27-08:00">December 20th, 8:13pm</time><address><a>Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers have arguably been the league’s biggest surprise this season; after being a middle of the pack playoff team in the Eastern Conference over the past two seasons, the Cavs have blossomed into one of the best teams in the association, and they’ve managed to notch the best record in the NBA through December 20th even though they’ve only recently gotten <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-light-logjam-max-strus" rel="noopener">Max Strus back in the active lineup</a> in their 124-101 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.</p><p>Strus was the Cavs’ main addition in free agency in 2023, and he introduced a different dynamic to the team’s offense as a shooter who thrives off of movement. And in his season debut for the Cavs, he put up nine points on 3-8 shooting from beyond the arc — serving to make the Cleveland squad just a bit deeper.</p><p>After the Cavs’ win over the Bucks, Strus <a href="https://x.com/cavs/status/1870301950975091010" rel="noopener">gave a heartfelt message</a> to fans who have done nothing but express their utmost support for the league-leading Cleveland team.</p><p>“Cavs fans, appreciate y’all welcoming me back. Thought you forgot about me but I’m back. Appreciate you all. Felt the love. Good win tonight,” Strus said, via the official Cavs account on X (formerly Twitter).</p><p>It might have been easy for Cavs fans to forget about Strus amid the team’s strong start to the season. The team has rotated through a few players at the three, with Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, and Caris LeVert all <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-reacts-unfortunate-isaac-okoro-injury" rel="noopener">logging heavy minutes at the position</a>. Strus’ return will complicate Cleveland’s rotation, but his skillset is worth putting on the floor, as he creates so much space for the team’s offense with his ability to draw defensive attention from the perimeter.</p><p>For now, however, with Strus working his way back from injury, expect him to play close to the 19 minutes he did on Friday as the Cavs figure out their rotation.</p><h2><b>Max Strus improves an already-deep Cavs team</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cavs-guard-Max-Strus-fights-for-loose-ball.jpg"><figcaption>© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Max Strus’ efficiency from three may not be the best among volume marksmen in the association, but he plays very differently to the Cavs’ other options at the three, making him valuable in his own right. Isaac Okoro is the defensive/cutting specialist, Dean Wade is the low-usage glue guy who can fill multiple roles, while Strus can help grease the wheels of the team’s offense if teams pack the paint against their frontcourt.</p><p>Head coach Kenny Atkinson may not mess with what’s working, so Strus may not be able to feature for the Cavs as heavily as he did last season. But he should still play a role for the stacked 24-4 Cavs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Max Strus sends return message to Cavs fans after win over Bucks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-light-logjam-max-strus');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson sheds light on minutes logjam amid Max Strus return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kenny-Atkinson-sheds-light-on-minutes-logjam-amid-Max-Strus-return-.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson sheds light on minutes logjam amid Max Strus return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T13:14:57-08:00">December 20th, 1:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T13:14:57-08:00">December 20th, 1:14pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik is also an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-max-strus-set-season-debut-ankle-sprain">Cavaliers will be getting some reinforcements back soon</a> on the floor, as Max Strus is set to return against the Milwaukee Bucks. Strus will most likely be on a minutes restriction, but things may get complicated when Issac Okoro comes back, as he’s currently out dealing with an AC joint sprain.</p><p>Head coach Kenny Atkinson has been using a nine and ten-man rotation, and he might consider using an 11-man rotation <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2024/12/which-cavs-player-will-be-impacted-most-by-max-strus-return-hey-chris.html" rel="noopener">when everybody is healthy</a>.</p><p>“It’s funny, every time we think we’re getting to 11, something happens, and we’re at 10,” Atkinson said via Cavs reporter Chris Fedor. “It’s a little bit of cross that bridge when we come to it. But in my mind, it’s possible we play 11. It’s really going to depend on who is available.”</p><p>Sam Merrill has been playing key minutes for the Cavs due to the injuries of Strus and Okoro, and Atkinson doesn’t think he’ll fall out of the rotation when everyone returns.</p><p>“I don’t see a big dip in his minutes because he’s so valuable to us in certain ways,” Atkinson said of Merrill.</p><p>Despite the injuries, the Cavs still have the best record in the league, and once they get healthy, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they get better as the season progresses.</p><h2>Max Strus returning soon for Cavs</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Max-Strus.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-max-strus-regular-season-debut-against-bucks" rel="noopener">Max Strus was able to practice</a> with the Cavs this week, and Kenny Atkinson seemed excited about his upcoming return.</p><p>“Super,” Atkinson said when asked about how Strus looked in practice. “Feedback was really good today. I’d say we had a moderate practice. He got through it fine. Now, what does it look like when he wakes up? That’s really going to be the trigger on what happens in the next two games. He looked phenomenal the last two days.”</p><p>Strus was a big part of the Cavs’ success last season, being one of the better three-point shooters in the league. The Cavs have already been shooting threes at a high level this season, and adding Strus to the fold will make them more dangerous as a group.</p><p>Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell continue to lead the backcourt for their Cavs with their playmaking and scoring, while Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are manning the frontcourt with their defense. Their role players have also been playing well, which is why they’re at the top of the Eastern Conference. It’ll be interesting to see how they look when everyone is healthy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson sheds light on minutes logjam amid Max Strus return

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-max-strus-regular-season-debut-against-bucks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs could see Max Strus make regular season debut against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cavs-news-Cleveland-could-see-Max-Strus-make-regular-season-debut-against-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Bucks.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs could see Max Strus make regular season debut against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T09:17:52-08:00">December 20th, 9:17am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T09:17:52-08:00">December 20th, 9:17am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Riding high after an extended siesta, the still injury-riddled Cleveland Cavaliers will return to action <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-vs-cavaliers-prediction-odds-pick-12-20-2024">when Cleveland takes on</a> the Milwaukee Bucks at home. Last time out, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-calls-bench-star-invaluable">the Cavs defeated</a> the Brooklyn Nets 130-101. The Bucks, meanwhile, just won the 2024 NBA Cup and <a href="https://x.com/Bucks/status/1869232529045397587" rel="noopener">are one of the hottest teams</a> in the NBA.</p><p>This will be the third of four meetings between the Cavs and Bucks this year. Both sides last met in Cleveland, with the Cavs winning 116-114. It was a tough, gritty matchup between two of the Eastern Conference’s best. Cleveland should expect a Milwaukee team looking for revenge in this matchup, especially after making a statement by winning the 2024 NBA Cup.</p><p>So, while the Bucks will be looking for revenge, they’ll also have a massive target on their back after winning the NBA Cup. Unfortunately, both teams are <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-20_09AM.pdf" rel="noopener">dealing with numerous injuries</a> heading into this matchup, making this a grind for either side.</p><h2><b>Who is unavailable for the Bucks against Cleveland?</b></h2><p>Against the Cavs, the Bucks will be without Damian Lillard (calf), AJ Johnson (NBA G League assignment), Chris Livingston (NBA G League assignment), and Tyler Smith (NBA G League assignment).</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-damian-lillard-status-nba-cup-championship-amid-calf-injury">Lillard has been dealing with calf discomfort for a while</a>, and Milwaukee has elected to rest him against Cleveland. Last year, Lillard strained his right Achilles tendon late in the season and missed several playoff games against Indiana. He also strained the soleus in his right calf while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022.</p><p>Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo (patella) and Khris Middleton (illness) are probable for the Bucks against the Cavs. Antetokounmpo has been dealing with patellar soreness since training camp, making his availability game-by-game. Middleton, meanwhile, missed the NBA Cup Championship game due to a nagging, non-COVID-related illness. However, Middleton has recovered and should be available when the Bucks take on the Cavs in Cleveland.</p><h2><b>Will Max Strus return from injury and make his Cavs regular season debut against the Bucks?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Max-Strus-defends-Cavs-Bucks.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Like the Bucks, the Cavs will be without a key contributor. Cleveland forward Isaac Okoro <a href="https://x.com/cavs/status/1869793126019428664" rel="noopener">recently suffered a right AC joint strain</a> in the Cavs’ win over the Brooklyn Nets. Okoro is expected to miss at least the next two weeks, where he’ll be re-evaluated.</p><p>Losing Okoro is a significant blow to an already thin Cavs wing rotation. Okoro is having a strong season in his fifth year in the league, shooting 49.5% from the field and 49.2% from deep – both career-highs. His perimeter defense remains his best asset, but the ability (or inability) to hit shots is what Cavs fans have taken umbrage with. Okoro has excelled on both sides of the ball this season, which makes the injury much more discouraging.</p><p>A silver lining in the Okoro-sized cloud hanging over Cleveland is that sharpshooter Max Strus could make his much-anticipated regular-season debut. After missing most of the preseason with a hip injury, Strus has also missed 27 consecutive regular-season contests with a nagging ankle injury. However, after working his way back to the court, Strus is considered questionable and will likely be a game-time decision.</p><p>Strus was able to practice with the team on Wednesday and Thursday. How Strus responds to the increased activity will determine whether he can play in either or both of the Cavaliers’ games this weekend.</p><p>“Super,” said head coach Kenny Atkinson when asked about how Strus looked in practice. “Feedback was really good today. I’d say we had a moderate practice. He got through it fine. Now, what does it look like when he wakes up? That’s really going to be the trigger on what happens in the next two games. He looked phenomenal the last two days.”</p><p>Strus has seemed like a perfect fit for the Cavs’ offense, which is currently the second-best in the league. His shooting and cutting should amplify what has already been a potent attack. So, although Okoro is sidelined, Cleveland getting Strus back is a bittersweet reward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs could see Max Strus make regular season debut against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-get-evan-mobley-max-strus-injury-updates-for-nets-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs get Evan Mobley, Max Strus injury updates for Nets game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/CAVS-NATION-Cavs-news-Evan-Mobley-Max-Strus-injury-updates-for-Nets-game.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs get Evan Mobley, Max Strus injury updates for Nets game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-16T12:02:14-08:00">December 16th, 12:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-16T12:02:14-08:00">December 16th, 12:02pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers face off against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Cavs enter with wins in five of the last six games and are coming off a 115-105 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday. However, the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-get-evan-mobley-isaac-okoro-injury-updates-wizards-game">Cavs are facing injury issues</a> regarding both Evan Mobley and Max Strus. Per the <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-16_02PM.pdf" rel="noopener">latest injury report</a>,</p><p>Strus is ruled out still due to a right ankle sprain and Mobley is probable with a left ankle sprain.</p><p>Mobley last played on December 8 against the Miami Heat, so he missed just one game against the Wizards. That is huge news for the Cavs since Mobley is the third-leading scorer on the Cavs this season, averaging 18.3 points to go along with 9.1 rebounds. With him on the floor, the Cavs are a much better team, so it’s a positive development for Kenny Atkinson’s team which is having a strong start.</p><p>Strus, on the other hand, was <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-max-strus-set-season-debut-ankle-sprain">reportedly inching closer to a return</a> from his injury and was expected to make his 2024-25 season debut. However, that has not been the case, and Strus has still yet to play in a game this season due to the ankle issue.</p><p>Strus is the problematic one here, especially since he was expected to make his season debut against the Wizards last Friday before ultimately being ruled out of that contest. Now, Strus is out once again as the injury woes continue for Cleveland.</p><p>The Cavs next face off against the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Friday night and the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, so there are a few more days for Strus to get healthy and hopefully make his long-awaited debut.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs get Evan Mobley, Max Strus injury updates for Nets game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-max-strus-cleveland-regular-season-debut-against-wizards');   ga('set', 'title', 'Max Strus won’t make Cavs regular season debut against Wizards');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Max-Strus-wont-make-Cleveland-regular-season-debut-against-Wizards.jpg"></figure><h1>Max Strus won’t make Cavs regular season debut against Wizards</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T21:06:09-08:00">December 12th, 9:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T21:06:09-08:00">December 12th, 9:06pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Riding high after an extended siesta, the still injury-riddled Cleveland Cavaliers hope to maintain momentum on the road <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wizards-vs-cavaliers-prediction-odds-pick-12-13-2024">when Cleveland takes on</a> the Washington Wizards at home. Last time out, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-use-34-point-tyler-herro-explosion-to-take-down-no-1-cavs">the Cavs lost</a> to the Miami Heat 122-113. The Wizards, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/wsh/washington-wizards" rel="noopener">are 3-17 in their previous 20 games</a>, sitting at rock bottom in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>This will be the third of four meetings between the Cavs and Wizards this year. Both sides last met in Cleveland, with the Cavs winning 118-87. Cleveland was dominant from wire-to-wire against Washington, never giving the Wizards a shot at any point in the matchup.</p><p>However, with Washington’s horrible start to the year, Cleveland doesn’t want to be the victim of a possible trap game. Unfortunately, both teams are <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-12_10PM.pdf" rel="noopener">dealing with numerous injuries</a> heading into this matchup, making this a grind for either side.</p><h2><b>Who is unavailable for the Wizards against Cleveland?</b></h2><p>Against the Cavs, the Wizards will be without Saddiq Bey (ACL), Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring), Kyshawn George (ankle), Corey Kispert (ankle), Kyle Kuzma (rib), and Tristan Vukcevic (NBA G League assignment, injury recovery).</p><p>Bey, 25, tore his ACL in March, leaving his return timetable in doubt. However, teammate Malcolm Brogdon shared with reporters that Bey is healing quickly.</p><p>“We definitely built a bond, a strong rapport,” Brogdon said. “He’s working, man. He’s actually progressing fast, so we’re going to have to slow him down because he’s doing really well.”</p><p>If an ACL tear takes 9-12 months to heal, his earliest possible return would likely be mid-December. However, regarding Brogdon’s hamstring injury, this will be his fourth straight missed contest due to the injury. So, Bey and Brogdon can recover together on the bench.</p><p>Kuzma, meanwhile, has been sidelined since suffering a rib injury against the Los Angeles Clippers. Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said Kuzma was expected to miss this game against the Cavs.</p><p>The same goes for Vukcevic. The Serbian forward has yet to make his season debut and has no return timeline. Barring a return to practice, the Vukcevic can be considered doubtful for future contests.</p><h2><b>Cavs sharpshooter Max Strus won’t make his regular season debut against Washington</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Max-Strus-dribbles-Jazz-Cavs.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Like the Wizards, the Cavs will be without several key contributors. Max Strus (ankle) remains sidelined. Cleveland’s matchup with Washington will be the 26th straight regular-season game without Strus. The Cavs sharpshooter sprained his right ankle during individual workouts.</p><p>After confirming the sprain’s severity, it was announced that Strus would be reevaluated after six weeks of treatment and rehabilitation. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-updates-max-strus-emoni-bates">Strus isn’t ready to return to the floor but is progressing</a>.</p><p>So, for now, assume that Strus will remain sidelined for the better part of December. It’s disappointing since so many top NBA insiders seemed confident that Strus would make his Cavs regular-season debut at home against the Wizards. Instead, fans will have to wait for Strus to possibly return to action against Cleveland’s next opponent: the Brooklyn Nets.</p><p>Rounding out the injury report for the Cavs are Craig Porter Jr. (NBA G League assignment) and Emoni Bates (NBA G League assignment), who both are unavailable. Big man Evan Mobley, meanwhile, is dealing with a sprained left ankle, which will likely be a game-time decision. However, swingman Isaac Okoro is listed as probable despite dealing with a bruised knee.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Max Strus won’t make Cavs regular season debut against Wizards

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-max-strus-return-matters-cleveland');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why getting back Max Strus matters so much for Cavs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cavs-news-Why-getting-back-Max-Strus-matters-so-much-for-Cleveland.jpg"></figure><h1>Why getting back Max Strus matters so much for Cavs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T11:11:36-08:00">December 12th, 11:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T11:11:36-08:00">December 12th, 11:11am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers had a record of 5-7 when Max Strus didn’t play. When <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/max-strus-grit-cavs-game-5-win-magic">Strus was available</a>, the Cavs went 48-34 in the regular season and playoffs. Although Strus’s on-court returns don’t hold the same status as Cleveland superstars like Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, he impacted winning when he was available last season.</p><p>However, it’s been a different story this year with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-updates-max-strus-emoni-bates">Strus sidelined with a nagging ankle injury</a>. Despite not having Strus, the Cavs <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/cle/cleveland-cavaliers" rel="noopener">have roared out to a 21-4 start</a> to the year. Considering how much he impacted winning last year, has Strus’s magic run out?</p><p>Despite the Cavs’ record, it’s not that simple. To his teammates, having Strus return will only make the good times even better.</p><p>“I told him not to come back when we were 15-0,” joked superstar Donovan Mitchell. “He was going to mess up the vibe.”</p><p>“I think even throughout the whole streak and everything it was like, ‘Man. There’s a lot of things we haven’t even gotten to do,'” Mitchell continued. “… His value, I think, goes over a lot of people’s heads.</p><p>“If he’s not having a great shooting night, he’s still doing a lot of different things. His gravity, his offensive rebounding, picking up people at full court. But then he’ll then score 10-12 straight, like he did against Dallas. He does so much for us.</p><p>” … With Max, it’s only going to amplify everything and make it better.”</p><p>Thankfully, Mitchell and his Cleveland teammates don’t have to wait long for Strus to return. Although Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said that Strus’s response to multiple days of practice will determine whether or not he plays against the Washington Wizards, he didn’t rule out Strus playing.</p><h2><b>Sharpshooter Max Strus’s return will give the Cavs an ‘injection of energy’</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Max-Strus-box-out-Cavs-Magic.jpg"><figcaption>Mike Watters-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If Strus returns to action against Washington, it’ll be his first time in a Cavs uniform in 71 days. That’s a long time away from the court, and no amount of practice can fully prepare anyone for in-game action. That’s why sources have told ClutchPoints that if Strus plays, he’ll be on a minute restriction. However, when it comes to any rust, Mitchell thinks Strus will be a perfect fit for Cleveland on offense.</p><p>“This is perfect,” said Mitchell when asked about Strus’s role in the Cavs’ offense. “Because since we’re enough games in, we fully understand our identity and who we need to be on a nightly basis. With the way we play and him coming back, it’s not going to be a drastic switch. This is literally what he’s created for offensively.”</p><p>Mitchell shared that he sees Strus picking up right where he left off in his two-man game with Evan Mobley. Moreover, since Atkinson wants the Cavs in constant motion on offense, Strus will either bend an opposing defense with his three-point gravity. Or there will be times when Strus gets a clean look if the defense cannot adjust quickly enough.</p><p>“It’s energy, competitiveness, toughness, all the intangibles he plays with he’s bringing them to the table,” said Atkinson about Strus’s impact.</p><p>“… It gives you an injection of injury. After 25 games, you get a little stale. Sometimes, you need that injection of energy, his dynamic presence, his personality, all of it. I think it’s good timing.”</p><p>Whether it’s energy, scoring, playmaking, or grit, Strus is invaluable to Cleveland. Getting him back, even after a dominant start to the season, will only improve things for the Cavs going forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why getting back Max Strus matters so much for Cavs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-max-strus-set-season-debut-ankle-sprain');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Max Strus set for season debut after ankle sprain');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/CAVS-NATION-Max-Strus-set-for-season-debut-after-ankle-sprain.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Max Strus set for season debut after ankle sprain</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-11T12:38:27-08:00">December 11th, 12:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-11T12:38:27-08:00">December 11th, 12:38pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers have rushed out to an impressive 21-4 record to begin the 2024-25 NBA campaign. As a result, the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-jarrett-allen-hilarious-1-word-answer-scorching-hot-start">Cavs sit in first place</a> in the Eastern Conference and they have the best record in the NBA amid a shocking start. To make things even more impressive, the Cavs have done that without Max Strus.</p><p>The 28-year-old <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-names-options-replace-injured-max-strus">suffered an ankle sprain</a> in October and has yet to suit up for the Cavs this season. However, the Cavs got good news on Wednesday as it was reported that Strus <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1866935472288829700" rel="noopener">will make</a> his season debut on Friday against the Washington Wizards, per Shams Charania of ESPN.</p><p>“Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus is expected to make his season debut on Friday against the Washington Wizards, sources tell ESPN. Strus suffered an ankle sprain in mid-October. He started in all 70 games played and ranked second on the Cavs in plus-minus last season.”</p><p>Strus played in 70 games for the Cavs and was a full-time starter, so his return is a massive boost. In 2023-24, Strus averaged a career-high 12.2 PPG with 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists. It was also Strus’ first season with the Cavs after spending three years with the Miami Heat.</p><p>In the 2023 offseason, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavaliers-news-max-strus-sign-and-trade-free-agency-4-year-63-million-contract">Strus inked a massive four-year</a>, $63 million deal via a sign-and-trade between the Cavs and Heat. So far, the deal has worked out incredibly well for the Cavs, and Strus even played a big role in the postseason.</p><p>The Cavs’ four-game winning streak ended on Sunday against the Heat, Strus’ former team, but they will look to respond with the next two games coming aginst the Wizards and then the Brooklyn Nets.</p><p>Nonetheless, even with the Cavs’ impressive start to this season, being able to get Strus back on the court is a huge boost as they try and stay on top of the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
9.4	4.3	3.2	0.2	0.5

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
9.4	4.3	3.2	0.2	0.5

Max Strus news

Max
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