The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 121-119 Tuesday night in miraculous fashion, catching the attention of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
Down by one point with 2.1 seconds remaining, Max Strus swished in a half-court heave to give Cleveland the win.
Strus’ shot came from 59-feet, the second-longest game winning buzzer beater during the 3-point era (since 1979-80), according to ESPN Stats and Information. Only Devonte’ Graham had a longer shot during that span, as he hit a 61-footer in 2021.
The game-winner from the Cavaliers guard led to Mahomes and Kelce engaging in some friendly banter on social media.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback couldn’t believe the shot, while Kelce offered praise for Cleveland’s recent run — the Cavaliers are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
🗣️Straight cash!!! Them boys got the juice right now!! @cavs 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/vUfl4XxIGk
— Travis Kelce (@tkelce) February 28, 2024
Both players were born near the cities of each respective team and have made their fandom clear through the years.
Mahomes, born in Tyler, Texas, and his wife Brittany, received a signed Luka Doncic jersey while attending a game last November. Doncic posted a goat emoji on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the Chiefs won their second consecutive Super Bowl.
The star tight end and his brother Jason Kelce are from Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Their home town serves as an inspiration for the name of their “New Heights” podcast. Travis told Sports Illustrated in 2016 that he cried when Cleveland won the championship that year. The Cavaliers announced earlier this month that he and Jason will have a bobblehead night on March 5.
