Max Strus To Miss Crucial Matchup With Celtics, Cavs News

Cleveland Cavaliers: Max Strus will not play against the Boston Celtics with a knee sprain.

Injuries, injuries, and more injuries. The latest member of the Cleveland Cavaliers to be affected by the recent injury bug sweeping through the locker room is Max Strus. 

The team will be without their starting small forward on Wednesday night when they take on the Boston Celtics. He's officially been ruled OUT with a right knee sprain, per NBA's Injury Report.

Nov 21, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) in action against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / © Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Strus injured his knee at the end of Sunday night's loss to the New York Knicks. In the closing minutes, when the Cavaliers still had a chance at winning, he went to the bench and Sam Merrill subbed into the game in his place. 

Strus has been there through all of the other injuries this Cavs roster has faced throughout the season. His absence on Tuesday night against the Celtics will be the first game that he's missed all season showing just how much the injury is affecting him.

The Cavs acquired Strus over the offseason for his elite three-point shooting to fill a glaring hole on their roster. He's been streaky in his first season in Cleveland shooting just 34% on 7.1 attempts a game and is averaging a career-high 12.2 points. 

Cleveland has been pleasantly surprised with what else he's brought to the table outside his offense. Strus has a defensive rating of 113 this season while the Cavaliers continue to be one of the top defensive teams in the league.

His presence will be missed on Tuesday, especially against the Eastern Conference's top team. Look for players such as Merrill and possibly even Craig Porter Jr. to get more minutes in Max's absence.