CLEVELAND — Forward Max Strus poured in 24 points in his first appearance of the season on Sunday night, but the Cleveland Cavaliers dropped a 130-120 decision to the Dallas Mavericks.
The 6-foot-5 wing had missed Cleveland’s first 67 games after undergoing surgery on Aug. 26 to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot. He entered the game with 4:53 remaining in the first quarter and hit two three-pointers from the left wing in his opening 75 seconds.
Strus finished 7-for-9 from the field and 6-for-7 from beyond the arc in 23 minutes. According to Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first player since the 1997-98 season to record at least 15 points in the first half of a season debut after sitting out the first 60 or more games.
“I wasn’t good enough,” Strus said after the loss. “I’m proud to be back, yes, but at the end of the day we didn’t win the game. It’s a bad loss for us and hopefully we get the next one.”
Head coach Kenny Atkinson had planned to limit Strus to 20-24 minutes. “It’s an emotional day when you witness someone go through what he has,” Atkinson said. “It’s good timing and will be a boost for the team, not just today but going forward.”
The defeat came two days after Cleveland routed Dallas 138-105 on the road. The Cavaliers are 10-6 since acquiring James Harden in a midseason trade but have gone 5-6 over their past 11 contests. Center Jarrett Allen remains sidelined with knee tendinitis.
Strus averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists last season. Where he fits into Cleveland’s late-season and postseason plans will be monitored as his minutes gradually increase.
Source: ESPN
