Cavs swingman Max Strus pulls off a game-winning buzzer-beater from 59 feet away to steal a victory against the Mavs.
Of the 24 lead changes in Tuesday’s Mavericks-Cavaliers matchup, the whole result hinged on the final two.
Less than three seconds apart, the swings first crushed the home fans, and then reminded them why hope remains a virtue.
The Mavericks took a one-point lead with 2.6 seconds to play, and then Max Strus found his mark, nailing a must-see 59-foot 3-pointer to give the Cavs a two-point win as time expired.
GAME SITUATION: The Mavericks took a 10-point lead into the final four minutes, seemingly in control on the back of Kyrie Irving’s finger roll. And then Strus happened: a 3-pointer; then another; another; and yet one more for good measure, all part of his 15-point fourth quarter. That 12-point flurry – only interrupted by an Irving 3 – cut the lead to just one in 1 minute, 7 seconds of game action. Back-and-forth from there, Dallas took its final lead at 118-117 as Luka Doncic found PJ Washington for a backdoor layup. One inbound later, the winner was on its way.
“The last five felt pretty good,” Strus said. “I felt a rhythm and it’s fun when you do that. Every time I shot it, I felt like it was going in, and it was. Same with the last one.
