Cavaliers look like a G-League team in humiliating loss to Dallas 130-120
BY TIM SHIRER
CAVS BEAT WRITER
(CLEVELAND, OH) - Friday night the shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers (41-27, 22-13 home) demolished the Dallas Mavericks (23-45, 9-24 road) in Dallas 138-105. Sunday afternoon the Cavs welcomed the Mavericks to Rocket Arena for the second half of the back-to-back.
The Cavs have won the last seven contests against Dallas and are 48-40 all-time, including 26-18 in Cleveland (Richfield Coliseum, Rocket Arena). Sunday afternoon still without Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill and Tyrese Proctor Max Strus made his long-awaited debut. The Cavs, with exception of Strus (he played well on both ends of the floor) were completely humiliated and embarrassed by a Mavericks team that had only eight wins away from Dallas this season 130-120.
The Mavs came to play right from the opening tip and got out to a quick 11-7 lead with 9:18 remaining in the opening quarter. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t like what he was seeing and took an early timeout. With 8:40 left James Harden drove the lane and scored. He was fouled on the play by Cooper Flagg and could not convert the free throw. The game was tied at 11-11. After the Mavs went up 13-11 Donovan Mitchell drained a three to give the Cavs their first lead of the game at 14-13 with 8:14 left in the first. With 4:23 left in the opening quarter Strus entered the game to loud applause from the crowd and then the joint erupted as Strus drained two consecutive three-point baskets to pull the Cavs two within four points with 3:38 left on the clock. Mavs coach Jason Kidd called an immediate timeout. With 2:52 left Strus drained his third three in less than two minutes to pull the Cavs to with one point at 28-27. They continued to shoot well in the entire quarter, 58% (14 of 24) and led 35-31 when the first 12 minutes expired. The Cavs shot 54% (13 of 24) in the opening period. The Mavs shot 50% (5 of 10) from long range while the Cavs shot 39% (5 of 13). P.J. Washington, Jr., Strus, and Mitchell led all scorers in the first 12 minutes with nine points apiece. The Mavs also dominated the boards 14-8.
With 8:07 left in the second quarter the Cavs tied the game 40-40 when Dennis Schroder drove the lane was assaulted and no foul was called, but he made the shot. Then with 6:52 remaining Evan Mobley scored inside on a hook shot and gave the Cavs a 42-40 lead. The Mavs regained the lead with 6:28 remaining Naji Marshall scored and was fouled by Nae’Qwan Tomlin to give Dallas a 43-42 advantage. With 4:37 left the Cavs tied the game 45-45 when Dean Wade drained a three from the corner. The Cavs took a 47-45 lead when Mitchell hit Mobley in the paint on an alley-oop with 3:31 left. Dallas regained the lead and went up by four points after a turnover with 2:36 left in the opening half. With the Cavs trailing by seven points Strus drained his fourth three of the day on four tries and then with 1:19 left was fouled he hit both free throws and cut the Dallas lead to 56-54. As time ran out and :0.8 was left on the clock Mobley scored in the paint and was fouled. Mobley hit the free throw, and the Mavs led 60-59 at the break. Strus and Marshall led all scorers at the break with 16 points apiece. The Cavs outshot the Mavs in the second quarter and were outshooting them in the game 52% (23 of 44) to 49% (23 of 47). Cleveland was also outshooting Dallas from long range 40% (8 of 20) to 39% (7 of 18). The Mavs were still outworking Cleveland on the boards 25-21. Points in the paint were even with both teams scoring 26. The Cavs bench was slightly better than Dallas 20-17.
The Mavs came out and scored the first seven points of the quarter to take a 67-59 lead with just 1:16 gone in the quarter. Early in the period the Mavs looked like they wanted the game more than the Cavs. With 7:18 left the Mavs took a 78-67 when Ryan Nmbhard hit a three. The Cavs were playing awful defense pretty much letting the Mavericks do whatever they wanted and with 4:56 left the Cavs trailed the Mavs 84-76. The one positive in the first seven minutes of the third quarter was Mitchell’s three-point basket at the 7:54 mark was his 15,000th point of his career. When time ran out in the third quarter the Cavs trailed 100-86 after playing a horrendously bad third quarter defensively. Marshall led all scorers with 22 points. Mitchell led the Cavs with 18 points. Through three quarters the Cavs who looked like they didn’t know there was a game today turned the ball over 13 times resulting in 23 Dallas points.
The fourth quarter began with two consecutive turnovers by the Cavs and the Mavs. This game was anything but Cavs/Warriors 2016. With 9:07 left in the final quarter the Cavs trailed 110-90 and it was apparent as the sun rising the Cavs were going to lose their 27th game of the season and the Mavs were about to win their ninth road game of the season in 33 tries. Thankfully for the sellout crowd Strus showed up today as he was the only Cavs player that looked like he wanted to be there. With 7:38 left in the game Strus drained his sixth three of the game in seven tries. When time ran out the Mavs completed the improbable road win 130-120.
Flagg led all scorers with 27 points. Mitchell led the Cavs with 26 points, but an asterisk should be next to it as most of his points came after the game was decided. Strus had 24 in his season debut.
16 turnovers by the Cavs in the game resulting in 25 Dallas points along with the Mavs outworking the Cavs on the boards 44-38. Then there’s the fact that not one Cavs player had a plus in the plus/minus. Strus was a zero in the plus minus being the only Cav who wasn’t a minus in the game.
Atkinson mentioned after the game that the Cavs’ defensive effort was not good today and that’s why they gave up 130 points. He also called Strus’s performance, “pretty amazing” after missing so much time.
The Cavs will now head out on a three-game road trip which will begin on Tuesday night at 8 pm in Milwaukee against the Bucks (27-39, 15-18 home) at the Fiserv Forum.
POSTED 03/15/2026 18:18
Lake County Sentinel
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Cavs swingman Max Strus in his season debut after foot surgery drains a three in the Cavs 130-120 loss to the visting Dallas Mavericks at Rocket Arena. Photo by Tommy Shirer
