The Cleveland Cavaliers are through to the second round of the playoffs after surviving the Toronto Raptors, 114-102, in Game 7 of their first-round series at Rocket Arena on Sunday.
The Cavaliers advanced to the conference semifinals for the third straight time.
The usual suspects, Jarrett Allen, James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley, delivered for Cleveland. The bench also showed up, with Max Strus and Sam Merrill providing instant energy.
Strus finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block in 31 minutes, while Merrill had 13 points, including three three-pointers, three rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes.
Donovan Mitchell tipped his hat to Strus with a three-word sentence.
“He’s a maniac,” said Mitchell, as quoted by Cavaliers reporter Danny Cunningham.
Strus was limited to just 12 games in the regular season due to a foot injury. He has struggled to regain his form, but he stepped up when it mattered the most.
Strus’ feistiness and competitiveness were underrated factors in Cleveland’s victory in Game 7.
The Cavaliers went on a spurt in the third quarter to wrest control of the game. They did not look back and cruised to the win to set up a date with the Detroit Pistons in the next round.
The Cavaliers and the Pistons split their season series, 2-2. Strus did not play in those four games.
He will look to build on his gutsy outing against the Raptors and help Cleveland advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2018.
Strus could earn heavy minutes versus Detroit as the primary defender of Cade Cunningham.