The Cleveland Cavaliers were severely undermanned on Tuesday night.
With Darius Garland (toe), Evan Mobley (ankle), and De’Andre Hunter (thumb) out with injuries, everybody needed to step up and pick up the slack.
Notably, it seems like Max Strus got the memo.
The former Miami Heat guard/forward proved why playoff experience is so crucial, taking a big leap and giving Donovan Mitchell a helping hand on offense.
As shown by Cavs Notes on X, he scored a career-high 23 points in the loss.
Max Strus now has a new playoff career-high 23 PTS. https://t.co/vUNv4vzQv3
— Cavs Notes (@CavsNotes) May 7, 2025
He shot 8-of-18 from the floor, 2-of-2 from the charity stripe, and 5-of-12 from beyond the arc, adding eight rebounds and four assists.
Unfortunately, the rest of the supporting cast wasn’t as efficient.
Ty Jerome had his worst game of the season, dropping just two points on 1-of-14 shooting and 0-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Other than Strus, Donovan Mitchell (48), and Jarrett Allen (22), only Sam Merrill (14) scored in double digits.
Needless to say, not having three of the team’s best players and leading scorers was a brutal blow at the worst possible time, but this was a disappointing effort by most players nonetheless.
The Cavs were up by as many as 20, and they led for most of the game.
Now, after blowing a seven-point lead with less than one minute left, they will hit the road to play the next two games in a hostile environment.
The team is on the brink of elimination, and they will need to regroup and make sure everybody does their part.
NEXT: Cavs Owner Sends Message To Fans After Tough Game 2 Loss
