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The Cavaliers Just Did This For The First Time In Nearly 23 Years

The Cleveland Cavaliers earned their first win in a road season-opener since October 31, 2000, when they also defeated the Nets.

Logan Potosky

The Cavaliers Just Did This For The First Time In Nearly 23 Years
The Cavaliers Just Did This For The First Time In Nearly 23 Years /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers began their 2023-24 season in the win column, defeating the Brooklyn Nets in a 114-113 thriller on the road.

With this victory, Cleveland accomplished something they hadn’t in nearly 23 years.

According to @CavsNotes on X, the Cavaliers earned their first win in a road season-opener since October 31st, 2000, when they also defeated the Nets.

Cleveland earned the victory with a new look compared to a season ago, as Max Strus, Georges Niang, Damian Jones, and Ty Jerome each made their regular-season Cleveland debuts.

Last season, Cleveland’s offense ranked in the bottom half of the NBA in three-pointers made (11.6) and attempted (31.6) per game. As a result, the team strived to address shooting in the offseason.

Enter Strus.

Oct 25, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) reacts after hitting a three point shot against the Brooklyn Nets during the third quarter at Barclays Center / © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

He had one of the premier Wine and Gold debuts in franchise history, tying a team-high with 27 points and grabbing a career-high 12 rebounds. Strus quickly lived up to his billing as a strong three-point shooter by hitting seven of his 13 three-point attempts, both of which were game-highs.

His seven three-pointers in his first game with the Cavaliers set a new franchise record. This mark with a new team also tied an NBA record, per @CavsNotes on X.

As a team, the Cavaliers went 17-for-43 from deep with a faster-paced, more perimeter-oriented offense than last season. 

Cleveland also got multiple three-pointers from Donovan Mitchell (four), Caris LeVert (three), and Isaac Okoro (two), with another from Darius Garland to begin the second quarter.

But it was the game’s final three-pointer that mattered most, as Mitchell hit a game-winning triple with 12.1 seconds remaining.

The Cavaliers look to start the season 2-0 in their home-opener tomorrow night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Logan Potosky
LOGAN POTOSKY

Logan Potosky is an aspiring play-by-play sports broadcaster who, to date, has called approximately 350+ hours of professional, college, and high school sporting events. He is currently the Play-by-Play Broadcaster for the Lake County Captains, the High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. He graduated from John Carroll University in May of 2023 with a degree in Communication, with a concentration in Digital Media, and a minor in Entrepreneurship.

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