The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 behind 32 points from Donovan Mitchell and 24 points from Max Strus.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are three wins away from advancing to the second round of the 2026 playoffs after beating the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of the first round on Saturday.
Donovan Mitchell led the way with 32 points, but Max Strus was the X-Factor, scoring 24 points off the bench. It was a playoff career high in points for Strus, who missed the first 67 games this season with a broken left foot that occurred during offseason training.
"When you see the work he’s put in all season, it’s for this moment, right? This is a regular occurrence with Max, maybe not 24, but just the energy level and boost he gives us," Mitchell said about Strus. "You give him credit for his journey, it can be a lot on the mental for him to continue to stick with it."
Strus played 24 minutes against the Raptors in Game 1. He shot 8-of-10 from the field, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
In the regular season, Strus averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 boards and 2.0 assists per game. He played in just 12 games because of the left foot injury we mentioned above.
With the Miami Heat in 2023, Strus went to the NBA Finals. He knows what it takes to win this time of year. So does James Harden, who went to the NBA Finals in 2012 with the Oklahoma City Thunder and went to the Western Conference Finals twice with the Houston Rockets.
Mitchell is one of the best players in the NBA, but he has yet to advance past the second round of the playoffs in his career. It will be fascinating to see how far the Cavaliers go in the 2026 playoffs and if Mitchell signs an extension with the Wine and Gold this offseason.
Mitchell averaged 27.9 points per game this season. He was seventh in the NBA in points per game and sixth in total points (1,952).
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