Max Strus's triumphant return to Cleveland is an instant sports spectacle!
Max Strus is back, and he's looking fantastic after nearly a year away.
Getty Images Max Strus's return to the Cleveland Cavaliers couldn't have gone any better despite a loss originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Cleveland Cavaliers and Max Strus couldn't have asked for a better return performance for the long-injured forward.
Strus has missed the entire 2025-2026 season so far, causing the Cavs to be without one of their two best three-point shooters until recently. Suffering a Jones Fracture in his foot during the offseason, Strus's return was hotly anticipated. In his return on Sunday, March 15, 2026, he lived up to those expectations against the Dallas Mavericks .
Coming off the bench, Strus shot 7-9 from the floor, 6-7 of which from three, while scoring 24 total points in just 22 minutes in a losing effort, with the Cavaliers falling 130-120. Strus was also a force without the ball, putting up eight rebounds, while dishing out an additional assist to close out a stellar return. On any night, that's a great game by any NBA player.
For a guy coming off a major injury, and nearly putting up a double-double while hitting all but two shots? That's an exceptional night. More: Cavaliers reveal positive Max Strus update, eye potential return date His comeback was made even more impressive after Strus almost single-handedly erased a 10-point, first-quarter deficit and helped the Cavs stay within one point at halftime.