Stock up:
Max Strass, oh my!
For fans who have been the main voice against the signing of Max Strus, it's probably best to hold off on any criticism tonight for the rest of the regular season. Trailing by 10 points late in the fourth quarter, it looked like the Cavaliers' hopes were dashed, when Max Strus broke out of a slump and sparked a fire.
Strus made four 3-pointers in a span of 67 seconds, single-handedly turning the Cavaliers back. With two seconds left and everyone thought Strus' heroic effort was wasted, Max Strus ends the game with one of the cleanest half-court heave buzzer-beaters I've ever witnessed. brought about a miracle. Strus finished the fourth quarter with 5-5 field goals, all of which came from the perimeter.
Asked after the game which shot would rank high in his career, Strus said, “That's definitely up there.” This team has relied on team effort and everyone being able to step up when needed throughout the season, and Strus exemplified that against the Mavericks.
Mitchell keeping pace with opponent's star power
In a game where star power was the theme of the night, Donovan Mitchell kept his part of the deal. Mitchell felt throughout the game that the Cavaliers needed to get some separation or get back into the game against Dallas.
Mitchell and Doncic appeared to be playing one-on-one at one point during the game itself. Mitchell had 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a game where the Cavaliers needed his effort, intensity and ability to lift a struggling offense.
Games like tonight, where the Cavaliers play against the league's best players, truly demonstrate the value and necessity of having the league's brightest stars on your side.
out of stock:
Lock down Luka Doncic
The team's game plan against Dallas is to either try to slow down Luka Doncic or try to make the supporting cast around him less impactful. It was clear that the Cavaliers were trying to minimize Luka's impact by making specific defensive assignments between different defenders.
LeVert, Okoro, Sluss, Mobley, and Allen all had quality efforts in isolation against the Mavericks' offensive engine, and it didn't really matter. Doncic made it from a jump, even though a significant number of his shots in this game went over the hands of opposing defenders.
Doncic had what 95% of the league would consider a career night, but when it comes to Doncic, this is just another great performance to add to a great campaign. Doncic finished the night with 45 points on 17-for-29 shooting, 14 rebounds and nine assists.
