Cleveland rallied to defeat Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks
Kelce and Mahomes went back-and-forth on X after Max Strus hit an incredible game-winning shot.Lapresse
The game of the night in the NBA on Tuesday was a thrilling matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The game went down to the wire, and it was so enthralling that Kansas City Chiefs superstars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes tuned in — and they could not believe how the Cavaliers pulled out the victory.
Cavaliers guard Max Strus hit a buzzer-beating shot from beyond halfcourt to secure a 121-119 win for Cleveland over Luka Doncic and the Mavericks. The incredible shot capped a wild comeback, and it drew the admiration of the two Super Bowl champions as they enjoy their offseason, with head coach Andy Reid attending the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Chris Jones, Travis and Jason Kelce laugh out loud as they discuss the best 40-yard dash ever
Mahomes in disbelief as Kelce praises the Cavs
The Cavaliers have been red-hot since mid-December, but they found themselves in a bind on Tuesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Mavericks had a 10-point lead with a little over four minutes to go and appeared ticketed for a big win that would have brought them level with the Phoenix Suns for sixth place in the Western Conference.
Dallas was on the verge of victory when Doncic assisted P.J. Washington‘s layup with 2.6 seconds left, giving it a 119-118 lead. But then, Strus inbounded the ball, got it back, and swished a halfcourt shot for the improbable win — which brought Cleveland’s record over the past 32 games to 25-7.
Mahomes, who knows a thing or two about late drama, took to X (formerly Twitter) immediately and quote-posted a highlight of the Strus shot. He said “ain’t no way” Strus hit that buzzer-beater from that distance, adding three crying laughing emojis and tagging Kelce — who was born in Westlake, Ohio, less than 15 miles from downtown Cleveland.
Kelce — who will be honored with his own bobblehead night in Cleveland next week — said the Cavaliers “got the juice” at this moment in time. The Cavs‘ 38-19 record is good for second in the Eastern Conference, and their defense entering Tuesday night ranked second in the NBA in points allowed per game.
Kelce’s excitement over the Cavs could continue into the summer, with Cleveland in a decent position to do something it has never done — reach the NBA Finals and win a championship without LeBron James on the roster. That could make it a two-championship year for the future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, adding on to his massive contributions in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
