Max Strus scored 24 points in his first game back from a broken left foot, leading the Cavaliers to a 130-120 loss against Dallas on Sunday.

Strus, sidelined for 67 games after a Jones fracture during offseason training, entered the game with 4:53 remaining in the first quarter. He quickly made a pair of 3-pointers and finished 7-of-9 from the field, including 6-of-7 on three-pointers, in 23 minutes. His 16-point first-half performance marks the first time since 1997-98 that a player scored at least 15 points in the first half of a season debut after missing at least 60 games.

While Strus expressed pride in his return, saying "I wasn't good enough" after the loss, Coach Kenny Atkinson called it an "emotional day" and noted Strus's energy will be a boost. Cleveland, now 10-6 since trading for James Harden, remains without center Jarrett Allen due to knee tendinitis.