Cavaliers' Max Strus makes season debut after missing 67 games with a broken left foot

CLEVELAND — Max Strus made his season debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday after missing the first 67 games because of a broken left foot.

The 6-foot-5 forward suffered a Jones fracture — a break of the bone that connects the little toe to the base of the foot — during offseason training and underwent surgery on Aug. 26.

Strus entered Sunday's game against the Dallas Mavericks with 4:53 remaining in the first quarter. He made pair a 3-pointers from the left wing in his first 75 seconds on the court.

Coach Kenny Atkinson said before the game that he was expecting Strus to see 20 to 24 minutes of action.

When Strus originally had the surgery, it was expected he would resume basketball activities in three to four months.

“I think it’s an emotional day when you witness someone go through what he has during the offseason and then struggling to get back. It’s emotional, but it’s also exciting,” Atkinson said. “And then just to get an injection of energy and the competitor he is back in the locker room. It's good timing and will be a boost for the team, not just today but going forward.”

Strus averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 50 games, including 37 starts, last season.