Cavs’ Max Strus’s Buzzer Beater vs. Mavericks Evoked Even Longer Miracle Shot He Hit in College

The Cleveland Cavaliers sharpshooter has been pulling out unlikely wins since his days at Lewis University in 2016.
Cavs’ Max Strus’s Buzzer Beater vs. Mavericks Evoked Even Longer Miracle Shot He Hit in College
Cavs’ Max Strus’s Buzzer Beater vs. Mavericks Evoked Even Longer Miracle Shot He Hit in College /

For most NBA players, winning a game in the fashion Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus did Tuesday would constitute the shot of a lifetime.

After all, Strus’s 60-foot three-pointer against the Dallas Mavericks was nothing short of the second-longest buzzer beater of the three-point era.

However, as astute observers pointed out Wednesday morning, the shot was not even the longest game-winner of Strus’s basketball career.

On Jan. 16, 2016, Strus’s Division II college team—Lewis University of Romeoville, Ill.—was tied 68-68 with the University of Missouri-St. Louis with 2.7 seconds to play. Strus swiped the Tritons’ inbound pass, turned toward the opposing basket, and heaved the ball approximately 70 feet through the net as time expired.

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As Strus pointed out, that shot was showcased on ESPN when it happened.

Strus eventually moved on to greener pastures, playing two years for DePaul before catching on in the NBA. His reputation for precision, clutch three-point shooting, however, has followed him everywhere.


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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .