Cavs take it to the Max: Strus saves day with buzzer-beating 59-foot shot against Mavs

CLEVELAND — Max Strus has a never-say-die attitude. It certainly paid off Tuesday when he buried a 59-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to shock the Dallas Mavericks 121-119 before a sold-out crowd at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Strus said as soon as the shot left his hands, he knew it was going in. "It felt good," he said. "Don (Donovan Mitchell) wasn't in the game so someone else had to shoot it." ESPN reported that it was the second-longest buzzer-beater in the shot clock era, being eclipsed only by DeVonte Graham's 61-footer in the New Orleans Pelicans' win over Oklahoma City on Dec. 16, 2021. "It's cool," Strus said. "But if it's not first, it's last, said the great Ricky Bobby (in 'Talladega Nights')." This wasn't the first time Strus stunned fans with a long buzzer-beater. While playing for the Division II Lewis Flyers on Jan. 16, 2016, he unloaded on a three-quarters court shot to defeat Missouri-St. Louis. After Strus' game-winner, the Cavs players tackled him on the court in a wild celebration. It was his fifth 3-pointer in five attempts in the last four minutes of the game, including four in an incredible span of 67 seconds. Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff was in awe of Strus' heroics. "He makes a huge difference with the way he plays the game and his determination and never-say-die attitude," he said. "It affects the team. He is just relentless. He leads that way and people follow. His determination and grit on the defensive end is undersold." The Cavs (38-19) fell behind 110-100 with 3:57 to play. That's when Strus went off. "He never quits," Bickerstaff said. "That's his leadership style and everyone follows. He means so much to our group." Mavs forward P.J. Washington's layup with 2.6 seconds remaining handed Dallas a 119-118 lead. Strus inbounded the ball to Evan Mobley, who passed it back to Strus, who unloaded on perhaps the biggest shot of his career. He finished with 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and two blocks. The Cavs withstood a phenomenal game by Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, who had a game-high 45 points, nine rebounds, 14 assists and three steals. The Cavs had no answer for Doncic, the league's leading scorer. He was 17-of-29 from the field, 6-of-11 from the 3-point line and perfect on five free throws. Mitchell paced Cleveland with 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He also turned the ball over seven times. Jarrett Allen added 19 points and nine rebounds, while Mobley had 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Mavs guard Kyrie Irving, who played six seasons in Cleveland, contributed 30 points and six rebounds for Dallas (33-25). "(Both of) them alone bring a lot of problems on the defensive end," Bickerstaff said. "For us, we have to take individual challenges." The Cavs used a floater by Caris LeVert in the waning seconds for an 83-82 advantage after three quarters. Launching pad The Cavs' goal before the game was to shoot 40 3-pointers. They finished 20-of-40. "We've just got to shoot it," Bickerstaff said. "We haven't done such a good job getting to the paint (recently)." Their drive-and-kick game is usually what sets up many of their long-range shots. Mitchell said the Cavs have to continue to play with pace and take open shots. "We can't turn down shots because sometimes that will be the best shot you get in a possession," he said. Back in the day Mitchell said he was still in high school in New York watching the Cavs-San Antonio game in 2015 when Irving scored 57 points. "That's the one that sticks out for me," he said. "I want to say I was in high school when that happened. That's my moment, for sure." He said Irving said he "prefers tough shots." In the rafters Mitchell said he believes Irving "should have his (No. 2) jersey retired" by the Cavs. "He brought the city a championship," he said. "He was a huge part of that." Long stretch The Cavs are in the midst of playing five games in seven nights. "We don't talk about it," Bickerstaff said. "No one gives a (expletive)." Best handle Irving can handle the ball like no other. Mitchell said his dribble doesn't compare to the Mavericks guard. "He is more creative and artistic," he said. "There are not many who can emulate what he does with the ball in his hands." Ten-day wonder Guard Sharife Cooper said signing a 10-day contract with the Cavs was like a "breath of fresh air." "I'm excited to soak it all in and get back on an NBA bench in an NBA atmosphere and be a good teammate," he said. Cooper was drafted by Atlanta in 2021 and played a handful of games for the Hawks his rookie season. "I missed it a lot," he said. "It's like a weird feeling to be on the bench. Now that I had it taken away from me, you understand how hard it is and how blessed you are to be here. "You want to be thankful for where you are. Your ultimate goal is to be in the NBA. When you do make it, it's a different level of appreciation." Bob Finnan can be reached at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X. Cavaliers 121, Mavericks 119 DALLAS (119): Green 3-8 0-0 7, Washington 5-8 0-1 11, Lively II 4-4 1-4 9, Doncic 17-29 5-5 45, Irving 12-24 1-1 30, Jones Jr. 1-3 1-2 3, Kleber 1-3 1-2 4, Gafford 2-3 0-0 4, Hardaway Jr. 2-5 0-0 4, Hardy 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 48-91 9-15 119. CLEVELAND (121): E.Mobley 5-11 2-2 12, Strus 7-12 0-0 21, Allen 7-9 5-6 19, Garland 2-10 3-5 8, Mitchell 11-20 2-3 31, Niang 4-6 0-0 10, Wade 0-0 0-0 0, Okoro 3-5 1-2 9, LeVert 5-10 0-0 11. Totals 44-83 13-18 121. Dallas&emsp; 24&emsp;32&emsp;26&emsp;37&emsp;—&emsp;119Cleveland&emsp;23&emsp;37&emsp;23&emsp;38&emsp;—&emsp;1213-Point Goals—Dallas 14-33 (Doncic 6-11, Irving 5-8, Kleber 1-2, Washington 1-3, Green 1-5, Hardaway Jr. 0-1, Jones Jr. 0-1, Hardy 0-2), Cleveland 20-40 (Strus 7-10, Mitchell 7-11, Niang 2-4, Okoro 2-4, LeVert 1-3, Garland 1-5, E.Mobley 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Dallas 36 (Doncic 9), Cleveland 47 (Allen, E.Mobley 9). Assists—Dallas 23 (Doncic 14), Cleveland 35 (E.Mobley, Garland 7). Total Fouls—Dallas 12, Cleveland 12. A—19,432 (19,432)