CLEVELAND — On the eve of the Cavaliers opening the first round of the NBA playoffs, Max Strus grasped a tray full of audio recorders because the stand designed to hold them malfunctioned during his media availability.
Strus also granted one additional question to a reporter after the public relations staff declared the shot clock had expired on his post-practice interview at Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence.
In those moments, Strus showed a different side of himself, someone who’s graciously accommodating with media members instead of routinely prickly.
Perhaps the shift in attitude stems from Strus becoming more comfortable in Northeast Ohio — and with the people who cover him — or maybe it’s a result of him gaining perspective while sitting out for the vast majority of the 2025-26 season.
Whatever the truth about Strus off the court is nowadays, the small forward showed the world on Saturday, April 18, he remains a relentless competitor capable of giving the Cavs a bona fide playoff performer.
Strus played 24 minutes off the bench and scored a postseason career-high 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field (4 of 6 on 3-pointers) to help the fourth-seeded Cavs dominate the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors 126-113 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series at Rocket Arena.
Max Strus scores playoff career-high 24 points for Cavs despite missing 70 of 82 regular-season games in return from foot surgery
See? Nice guys don’t always finish last.
“The work he’s put in all season, it’s for this moment,” said Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who scored a game-high 32 points. “This is a regular occurrence with Max. Maybe not 24 [points], but just the energy level, the boost, and it was so many different things, so many different ways. You give him credit for his journey. It can be a lot on the mental [side] for him to continue to stick with it.”
Strus missed all but 12 regular-season games after undergoing offseason surgery on Aug. 26 to repair a Jones Fracture (fifth metatarsal) in his left foot. He has been hard on himself, especially about his defense, while working back into form coming off a notoriously tricky injury. It would be foolish to think he’s at the peak of his powers, given the circumstances.
However, it’s playoff time, and Strus operates with a rust-proof edge on the court. He is, as new Cavs teammate James Harden stated, what players affectionately describe as “a dog.”
A former Miami Heat player who joined the Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade deal three years ago, Strus is a huge reason Cleveland will carry a 1-0 series lead into Game 2 on Monday, April 20, at home.
Strus communicates on the court and leads with words of wisdom during timeouts. If you want hustle and heart, he has a surplus to offer. When the shot falls, he’s lethal. When it doesn’t, he’s underappreciated (see an 0-of-9 shooting clunker he had last year when the Cavs were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the second round).
Another note about the 2025 playoffs is pertinent here: Strus started all nine of Cleveland’s postseason games last year. But in Game 1 against the Raptors, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson started Dean Wade in the small forward spot. Strus didn’t enter the game until he and guard Sam Merrill check in with 7:15 left in the first quarter.
Max Strus volunteers praise for Cavs forward Dean Wade’s defensive performance against Raptors All-Star Brandon Ingram in Game 1
How did Strus react? He had a great game. Afterward, he gave Wade an unsolicited shout-out as a sneaky hero of the Cavs’ win. Although Wade scored just five points in 22½ minutes, he finished with Cleveland’s best plus-minus rating (20) and limited Raptors All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, who scored 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field (0 of 1 on 3s). Ingram attempting just one field goal in the second half is among the series opener’s most bizarre stats.
“I think our starters came out and set the tone early,” Strus said. “I think Dean Wade was phenomenal. I thought he did a great job making it tough on Ingram. He’s going to score. He’s going to get his buckets. Dean [deserves credit for] setting the tone early defensively, and everybody followed.”
Jolly good fellow Strus can still get heated, though. Mitchell explained he stepped between Strus and official Tony Brothers to provide “a voice of reason” during a tense scene in Game 1. The competitive fire burns bright in Strus. It probably always will.
“He loves being in the high-pressure situations, the high-intensity moments,” Mitchell said of Strus. “That’s where he thrives.”
On Jan. 6, the Cavs announced Strus’ recovery was not on a flawless trajectory. The team’s statement cautioned “additional time is required for the fracture to fully heal.”
Mitchell conceded he thought Strus’ comeback attempt appeared to be “dicey” when he heard about the development. Strus didn’t waver, though. He made his season debut on March 15 and scored 24 points. His 2026 playoff debut was even more impressive because of the stakes.
“One thing I learned to do is just never doubt that man,” Mitchell said.
There are signs some things have changed about the man who noted last year he possessed “a little anger-management issue.” Being ready for the playoffs isn’t one of them.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Max Strus still has edge, lifts Cavs in Game 1 win vs Raptors. Opinion
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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