Cleveland Cavaliers Adjustment That Flipped Game 1

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a better shooting team than the Toronto Raptors.

Heading into Game 1 on Saturday afternoon, that was one of the worst kept secrets about this series.

Coming out of halftime, Cavaliers sharpshooter Max Strus had eight points in the early portion of the third quarter. That flipped everything for the Cavs, who ran away with a 126-113 victory against the Raptors at Rocket Arena in Game 1.

After the game, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said that Strus’s shooting helped “turn the game” in favor of Cleveland. It certainly did, as the Cavaliers lead ballooned to 22 points in the third quarter because of Strus.

Max Strus makes impact felt in Game 1

As expected, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden were dominant for the Cavaliers. Mitchell had 32 points and Harden contributed 22 points. But Strus had 24 points in 24 minutes. He was 8-of-10 from the field and 4-of-6 from three-point territory. 

Atkinson trusting Strus was a huge adjustment that flipped Game 1 for the Cavaliers – and they should never look back.

Before the game tipped, Atkinson was non-committal about who would be Cleveland’s fifth starter with Mitchell, Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Dean Wade got the starting nod, and contributed 22 minutes, scoring five points.

At some point in the NBA Playoffs, Atkinson could roll the dice and start Strus, who only appeared in 12 regular season games for the Cavs after recovering from a fractured foot. The team was patiently waiting for Strus to make a full recovery. It paid off, as his presence has been felt each and every time that he’s been on the floor for the Cavs.

Last season in the NBA Playoffs, everyone remembers that the Cavs fell embarrassingly short against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Strus was Cleveland’s second best player behind Mitchell. Adding Harden to the mix should only further simplify the equation for Mitchell and Strus to continue their success in the NBA Playoffs.

Atkinson continuing to trust Strus in big moments, despite his lack of regular season action, is continuing to pay dividends for the Cavaliers.

Cleveland will host the Raptors for Game 2 on Monday night. Because of the dominant victory on Saturday afternoon, there’s not much of a reason to shake anything up in terms of the starting lineup. But Atkinson’s trust in Strus will be paramount throughout the remainder of this series against the Raptors and the NBA Playoffs.He’s a battle tested player that appeared in an NBA Finals with the Miami Heat. In Game 1, the Strus was certainly loose against the Raptors.