Max Strus spoils Kyrie Irving’s return with halfcourt game-winner to cap Cavs’ improbable 121-119 come-from-behind win

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Tuesday night was supposed to be about former Cavs star Kyrie Irving.

Someone failed to tell Max Strus.

The first-year Cavs sharpshooter hit a game-winning 3-pointer from just beyond halfcourt to punctuate Cleveland’s improbable 121-119 come-from-behind win over the Dallas Mavericks, spoiling Irving’s highly anticipated Cleveland return.

Irving, the Cavaliers’ legend who helped the franchise win its only NBA title in 2016 before requesting a trade the next summer, was back inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for the first time since 2022. For much of the night, it seemed like it was going to be a storybook return. The usual stuff from Irving. Spellbinding dribbles. Acrobatic finishes. Silencing jumpers. Fourth-quarter mastery. A touching early-game moment between him and the city.

Only this time, the orchestrator of The Shot, responsible for so many late-game heroics in this building, was on the other end of a painful dagger.

Strus delivered the final blow.

With Cleveland leading by one inside the 10-second mark, the Mavericks forced a turnover on a sloppy inbound pass attempt by Evan Mobley. On the ensuing possession, following a Dallas timeout, MVP candidate Luka Doncic gathered the tipped ball, started driving toward the basket and whipped a pass inside to P.J. Washington for the go-ahead layup.

Two seconds remaining. Plenty of time, right? Apparently so.

Down by one, after initially tossing the ball to Mobley, Strus got it right back while sprinting toward halfcourt. He launched from 59 feet. Swish.

That buzzer-beater — the second-longest game-winning buzzer-beater in NBA history — capped a scintillating fourth quarter that also included four consecutive Strus 3s in about 60 seconds that turned a Mavericks’ 10-point lead into a one-possession game.

Strus started the comeback. And then he finished it.

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In all, Strus tallied 21 points on 7 of 12 from the field and 7 of 10 from beyond the arc. Fifteen of those points came in the final four minutes of fourth quarter.

Donovan Mitchell, who has been admiring Irving’s theatrics for years, finished with a team-high 31 points on 11 of 20 shooting, including 7 of 11 from beyond the arc. Mitchell had a pair of clutch triples in the final minutes as well.

Jarrett Allen chipped in with 19 points and nine rebounds.

The Mavericks were led by Doncic, who turns 25 on Wednesday and was hoping to start the birthday celebration early. He tallied 45 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds in 41 minutes. Irving added 30 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter.

Irving’s departure in 2017 broke up Cleveland’s dynasty. It led to negative feelings on both sides.

But enough time has passed now. On Tuesday night, the polarizing Irving received a hero’s welcome reserved for the all-time greats. During the first stoppage, a video of The Shot was played on Humongotron. Fans rose to their feet and showered Irving with appreciation. He returned the favor, patting his chest repeatedly and bringing his hands together in the shape of a heart.

All love now.

Only fitting, with Irving back in the building, Cleveland is getting another unforgettable end-of-game moment to savor — albeit with much different stakes and not from Irving this time. From Strus.

The Heave.

The Cavs will travel to Chicago for the second game of a back-to-back on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.

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