Even without Damian Lillard, the Bucks entered Rocket Mortgage with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder. The Cavaliers struggled in the past two matchups against the Bucks this season, only shutting them down by a combined three points in the pair of games.
Coming off of their NBA Cup championship win, this could have been a dangerous game for the Cavs.
But the momentum from the Emirates Cup win didn’t intimidate the Cavaliers, in fact it looked like Cleveland was playing a little extra crafty on offense and defending aggressively.
It was a different game than the previous contests – Big thanks to the three ball with the Cavs draining 20 of 47 (42.6%) from beyond the arc.
Despite the Bucks emerging in the conference standings, the Wine and Gold still sent them on their way with a 23 point loss.
Donovan Mitchell lead the way with 27 points, one of six Cavalier's in double digit's.
Return of the Max - Friday night Max Strus made his return to the floor after missing the first 27 games to start the season. The small forward suffered a sprained ankle in what he called a “freak accident” during an individual workout session. The timeline at the time of the injury for Strus to be out was set for at least six weeks. Now nine weeks later, he’s back.
Strus pulled a Donovan Mitchell, essentially making the announcement himself on social media by posting a picture in his Cavaliers uniform.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson joked pregame when asked about if Strus was going to be available for the night saying, “I think he tweeted he was, right?” Atkinson laughed. “So that’s how that works out. They tell you.”
Atkinson also made it clear Strus’s minutes will be dependent on how the forward feels and the feedback he gives to the medical staff after games.
Strus checked for the first time this season about midway through the first quarter. His first shot attempt came from the corner, but was missed, along with another missed attempt in the second quarter.
After shaking off the first half jitter, Strus checked in at the 6:20 mark in the third quarter. Only seconds after entering the game, he drained his first three ball. After he connected on that first one, the ‘juices were flowing’. Less than 3 minutes later, he hit another. The sharp shooter finished his first game back going 3-8 with nine points and two assists.
“It was just fun to play,” said Strus after his 19 minutes on the court. “Adrenaline is a funny thing. It’s been awhile, but it just felt good to be back on the court and playing.”
The Swiss Army Knife - Dean Wade made the starting five, taking over for Isaac Okoro who is out for at least two weeks with a shoulder strain.
Pre-game Atkinson compared Wade to a swiss army knife saying “Defensively he can guard anybody, 5-1,” said Atkinson. “Offensively he can do the same.”
Wade proved to be what his coach described him as against the Bucks. Wade finished the night with 15 points, 5-for-6 from the field – 4 of which were from the three-point line.
“If he makes three’s like that, you’re like unstoppable,” said Atkinson. “You don't find many guys in the league that can defend like him.”
Atkinson continued to praise Wade for his hard work and dedication he put in during practices and optional shootaround that undoubtedly played off against the Bucks.
Wade's stellar performance was just what the doctor ordered after struggling offensively to start the season.
Missing Minutes - Undoubtedly with Max Strus coming back into the lineup, rotations will change meaning players will get less minutes. Atkinson said he hasn’t quite had conversations with guys yet about their minutes, but will need to do that soon.
Mitchell being one of the leaders on the team is hopeful that the continuity of the team will make things easier when guys lose minutes.
“That's the perks of bringing everybody back. Because one, we know how to communicate. We know we are sacrificing for each other. We built something. It’s easy, easier I should say to kinda take a step back for the next guy,” said Mitchell.
He continued saying, “but that’s a real thing. Guys could sit here and say, ‘I want to get paid, or I want minutes.’ but ultimately if you win everything else takes care of itself and we have a group that understands that.”
Up Next - Cavaliers are back at home on Saturday evening for a back to back, this time matching up with the injury ridden Philadelphia 76er’s. Now 9-16 and coming off of their 108-98 win over the Charlotte Hornets, the 6’ers come to Cleveland sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference – 13.5 games back to the first place Cavaliers. Saturday night’s tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
Cavaliers move to 3-0 against the bucks this season – 24-4 overall
