Lewis University. A very small university in Illinois, located in Romeoville, a suburb of Chicago. It is there, in NCAA Division II, that Max Strus completed his first two university seasons, before joining DePaul to complete his studies. Coming out of high school, he had received only one offer, from Chicago State, and he had preferred to follow his brother, Marty, to Lewis.
We are then in 2014, and eight years later, Max Strus is living a waking dream. Here he is with a candidate for the title, and this night, it was DJ Khaled who gave him the ball on a throw-in in the second half!
DJ Khaled imite Drake
« I heard the crowd was crazy laughs the back of the Heat when a journalist asks him his opinion on this throw-in. I didn’t know what was going on. Jimmy was laughing, and I turned to him. I saw that [DJ Khaled] got the audience fired up, and it was a really cool moment. I then ran into him after the match, and frankly, so many things continue to happen to me… It’s really special. »
A “very cool” moment marked by this friendly gesture from the rapper/producer towards Erik Spoelstra. A small shoulder massage, like what Drake has already practiced with Nick Nurse.
“I had not paid attention before he heated the public” testifies the coach of the Heat. “It was huge, and I take this moment with humility. You know, he’s a huge Heat fan. Over the years, I greet him from time to time, but tonight was a first! »
First career double-double
This nice moment punctuates a very good performance from Max Strus since he signs his first career double-double, with a personal best in rebounds: 19 points and 10 rebounds! Before the game, Pat Riley had asked him to take 10 rebounds. He ran!
It was he who put the Heat on the right track. He misses his first 3-point shot, but takes his rebound, and scores without opposition. Miami continues with a 10-0, and ends the first quarter with 11 points. It is still him, at the beginning of the 4th quarter, who will put the lid on the meeting, and oblige Doc Rivers to launch the “garbage time”.
“After the two games in Philadelphia, I watched the video, and I said to myself that I had to be aggressive. I said to myself that I had to take the slightest open shot. he explains. “On the rebound side, everyone, Jimmy, Bam, PJ…, is on their player in one-on-one, and I have to help them. They were dominating us on the rebound, and I wanted to be there, and the ball just came at me. I was there at the right place, at the right time. »
His success has made one unfortunate: poor Duncan Robinson, who has been waxing good since the middle of the series against the Hawks. Erik Spoelstra had planned to give him playing time, but the success of Max Strus changed his plans…” We have a team where the X factors impact how we win, and we have a lot of different players who can be the X factor.« .
Tuesday night was Max Strus.
| Max Strus | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | CHI | 2 | 3 | 66.7 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.5 |
| 2020-21 | MIA | 39 | 13 | 45.5 | 33.8 | 66.7 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 6.1 |
| 2021-22 | MIA | 68 | 23 | 44.1 | 41.0 | 79.2 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 10.6 |
| Total | 109 | 19 | 44.6 | 39.1 | 75.6 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 8.8 | |
