Overview

• Max Strus sent a group text to Cavaliers teammates before Game 5, saying, 'If you don’t believe, don’t show up for work.'
• His message was shared on TNT’s pregame coverage by reporter Jared Greenberg, amplifying its visibility.
• Strus went 0-for-9 from the field in the elimination game, finishing with zero points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
• The Cavaliers lost 114-105 to the Indiana Pacers, officially ending their playoff run in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
• The viral spread of Strus’s quote on social media has fueled widespread discussion, overshadowing his earlier series contributions.