The Cleveland Cavaliers extended the NBA’s longest active winning streak to six games with a resounding 136-110 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.
As a team, the Wine and Gold were propelled by a strong performance from behind the three-point line.
A key part of this performance was swingman Max Strus.
The 27-year-old recorded his eighth 20-point game of the season, scoring 22 points while making a team-high six three-pointers. Strus also added five rebounds, two assists, and tied a team-high with two steals.
This was his first 20-point game since scoring a game-high 24 points in a win on January 3 over the Washington Wizards.
In the first quarter, he was an integral part of Cleveland’s fast start. Strus scored nine of the Cavaliers’ 39 points, draining a team-high three triples.
Then, after playing just four minutes in the following period, he caught fire from deep again in the third quarter. Strus led all players with 11 points, three three-pointers, and a pair of steals in the period. He eventually recorded two points and two rebounds in the fourth quarter, when the Wine and Gold outscored Sacramento 30-18.
After the game, Cavaliers Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff described how Strus has the ability to increase the team’s morale and momentum with his performance.
“When you’ve got a guy who plays as hard as Max does, when he makes those shots, he uplifts everybody. I think about a couple of the steals that he got in the backcourt, like those types of things. Then you throw in the threes, and it’s a momentum shifter for not only us, but for our fans, and the guys feed off of it.”
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