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DETROIT — If the Cavaliers end up winning their second-round series and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, it can be said that Max Strus stole it from right under the Detroit Pistons' noses.
The Cavs won a crucial Game 5 117-113 on May 13 in Detroit to take a 3-2 series lead. They'll have a chance to take out the Pistons in Game 6 on May 16 at Rocket Arena.
It was their first win on the road in the 2026 playoffs. And it was the second time in three games Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson credited a Strus steal as the biggest play of the game.
With 2:39 left in overtime and the Cavs leading by two, Donovan Mitchell drilled a 3-pointer — his first 3 of the entire night — to put Cleveland up 110-105. The ball was inbounded to Cade Cunningham with the Pistons desperately needing to answer on the other end of the floor. Except Cunningham never made it that far with the ball.
Instead, Strus ran behind Cunningham and poked the ball away for a steal, and a moment later hit Mitchell with a bounce pass for an easy layup. Within a matter of seconds, a tight two-point advantage became a commanding seven-point lead. It was the sequence that broke Detroit's back.
"Max Strus' steal. It just came out of nowhere," Atkinson said when asked about the biggest play of the game. "I don't know what the spread was there but I just felt that was — the crowd, like, gasped. It was a huge play. He made so many winning plays tonight but that was the big one."
Strus also made arguably the biggest play of the game with a late steal in Game 3, when the Cavs were down 0-2 in the series. In both cases, they might have saved the Cavs' playoff hopes.
In this case, his impact wasn't only marked by that key swipe.
Strus was brilliant on the offensive end for the Cavs as well, scoring 20 points while making 6 of 8 3-point attempts, along with eight rebounds and his back-breaking steal-and-dish to Mitchell. The six 3s were especially needed considering Mitchell opened the game 0 for 7 from 3-point range, leaving a scoring void.
When asked what Strus meant to the team, Mitchell said, "Everything."
"I've said it since we got him here," Mitchell continued. "I think the biggest thing is, he was due to have a game where he made some shots. He was always going to make plays. He's ... made plays throughout this entire series. But it's great to see the shots go in along with the effort."
The Cavs have long battled narratives relating to their lack of grit and physicality in the playoffs, as a team that lacks edge and attitude compared to some other contenders in the East. Strus is someone who brings that element to the locker room, along with Dennis Schroder and a few others. Atkinson also put James Harden in that category.
"[Strus] has been a nasty character, and I love it," Atkinson said. "Like, we need that. Dennis is little like that, too. I think it rubs off. James is a tough dude, too. I know that's not his reputation because he's such a skilled player, but there's no — he's tough as nails. It's kind of those three guys."
Strus made the first free throw to make it a three-point lead. He missed the second, offering the Pistons a brief window to tie it at the other end. Except Harden pounced on the rebound off his own miss, forcing another foul and free throws that then made it a two-possession game.
After the game, Mitchell jokingly gave Harden a hard time for missing that free throw. But that one hustle play on the rebound made up for it, and it's the type of key play that has gone against the Cavs in recent playoff exits.
"I don't know — luck, maybe," Harden said with a shrug. "You got to make your free throws. … I felt like it was a few things or a few opportunities that I missed, whether it's free throws, floaters, shots, whatever the case may be, but it's part of the game."
The Cavs' Game 5 win wasn't without controversy. At the end of the fourth quarter, Ausar Thompson swiped the ball from Mitchell and then had his legs get tangled up with Jarrett Allen. The Pistons angrily pleaded for a foul call that would have given Thompson two free throws, but the whistle never came.
Then, in overtime, Harden drew a foul call near the baseline, though replays showed he might have stepped out of bounds.
NBA referee Tony Brothers addressed both calls with a pool reporter after the game, noting it was ruled incidental contact had been made between Thompson and Allen without either player having possession of the ball. On the Harden call, Brothers stated the foul had occurred prior to him stepping out of bounds.
The Allen-Thompson call, especially, is likely to draw further scrutiny considering the gravity of the moment.
Ryan Lewis covers the Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Max Strus, James Harden provide key plays for Cavs in Game 5 win vs Detroit
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The Cavs won a crucial Game 5 117-113 on May 13 in Detroit to take a 3-2 series lead. They'll have a chance to take out the Pistons in Game 6 on May 16 at Rocket Arena.
It was their first win on the road in the 2026 playoffs. And it was the second time in three games Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson credited a Strus steal as the biggest play of the game.
With 2:39 left in overtime and the Cavs leading by two, Donovan Mitchell drilled a 3-pointer — his first 3 of the entire night — to put Cleveland up 110-105. The ball was inbounded to Cade Cunningham with the Pistons desperately needing to answer on the other end of the floor. Except Cunningham never made it that far with the ball.
Instead, Strus ran behind Cunningham and poked the ball away for a steal, and a moment later hit Mitchell with a bounce pass for an easy layup. Within a matter of seconds, a tight two-point advantage became a commanding seven-point lead. It was the sequence that broke Detroit's back.
"Max Strus' steal. It just came out of nowhere," Atkinson said when asked about the biggest play of the game. "I don't know what the spread was there but I just felt that was — the crowd, like, gasped. It was a huge play. He made so many winning plays tonight but that was the big one."
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Max Strus provides grit to Cavs in playoffs
Strus also made arguably the biggest play of the game with a late steal in Game 3, when the Cavs were down 0-2 in the series. In both cases, they might have saved the Cavs' playoff hopes.
In this case, his impact wasn't only marked by that key swipe.
Strus was brilliant on the offensive end for the Cavs as well, scoring 20 points while making 6 of 8 3-point attempts, along with eight rebounds and his back-breaking steal-and-dish to Mitchell. The six 3s were especially needed considering Mitchell opened the game 0 for 7 from 3-point range, leaving a scoring void.
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When asked what Strus meant to the team, Mitchell said, "Everything."
"I've said it since we got him here," Mitchell continued. "I think the biggest thing is, he was due to have a game where he made some shots. He was always going to make plays. He's ... made plays throughout this entire series. But it's great to see the shots go in along with the effort."
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James Harden playoff stats
The Cavs have long battled narratives relating to their lack of grit and physicality in the playoffs, as a team that lacks edge and attitude compared to some other contenders in the East. Strus is someone who brings that element to the locker room, along with Dennis Schroder and a few others. Atkinson also put James Harden in that category.
"[Strus] has been a nasty character, and I love it," Atkinson said. "Like, we need that. Dennis is little like that, too. I think it rubs off. James is a tough dude, too. I know that's not his reputation because he's such a skilled player, but there's no — he's tough as nails. It's kind of those three guys."
Strus made the first free throw to make it a three-point lead. He missed the second, offering the Pistons a brief window to tie it at the other end. Except Harden pounced on the rebound off his own miss, forcing another foul and free throws that then made it a two-possession game.
After the game, Mitchell jokingly gave Harden a hard time for missing that free throw. But that one hustle play on the rebound made up for it, and it's the type of key play that has gone against the Cavs in recent playoff exits.
"I don't know — luck, maybe," Harden said with a shrug. "You got to make your free throws. … I felt like it was a few things or a few opportunities that I missed, whether it's free throws, floaters, shots, whatever the case may be, but it's part of the game."
Cavs-Pistons Game 5 has foul call controversy
The Cavs' Game 5 win wasn't without controversy. At the end of the fourth quarter, Ausar Thompson swiped the ball from Mitchell and then had his legs get tangled up with Jarrett Allen. The Pistons angrily pleaded for a foul call that would have given Thompson two free throws, but the whistle never came.
Then, in overtime, Harden drew a foul call near the baseline, though replays showed he might have stepped out of bounds.
NBA referee Tony Brothers addressed both calls with a pool reporter after the game, noting it was ruled incidental contact had been made between Thompson and Allen without either player having possession of the ball. On the Harden call, Brothers stated the foul had occurred prior to him stepping out of bounds.
The Allen-Thompson call, especially, is likely to draw further scrutiny considering the gravity of the moment.
Ryan Lewis covers the Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Max Strus, James Harden provide key plays for Cavs in Game 5 win vs Detroit
Continue reading...
