Max Strus played arguably the best playoff game of his career in Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. He was instrumental as he came off the bench and gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a 117-113 overtime victory at the Little Caesars Arena.
It was the Cavs' first win on the road in the playoffs this year. The win gave the Cavs a 3-2 lead in the series, and they are now just one win away from a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, despite Strus' incredible performance on Wednesday, it was Charles Barkley's hilarious comments on him that grabbed the spotlight.
While Max Strus impressed the fans with his 20-point game in Game 6, Charles Barkley was mesmerized by his good looks. The former MVP is known for his funny personality, but couldn't keep himself from praising Strus' physical appearance.
Barkley's comments did not take long to go viral, and the fans were quick to jump on it, and several memes popped up across social media. But now, it looks like Strus himself has reacted to all the memes. He posted an Instagram story with a picture of Barkley folding his hands to him, while Tom Brady stared from behind. He captioned it:
Look what you started.
Max Strus on his Instagram storyLook what you started.
It was a hilarious image of the three. Brady was added in the image because Barkley compared Strus' eyes to the former NFL star. In fact, the Hall of Famer even admitted to being sort of 'attracted' to Strus' face and even went on to say that he would 'not look him dead in the eye'.
The incident on Inside The NBA got everyone in the studio laughing, including Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith. Barkley has had several awkward moments in the past, and he has become a meme on social media once again.
There is no doubt that the Cavs are going all in after making the trade for James Harden at the trade deadline this year. While the former MVP has not had a full season to develop chemistry with his teammates, he has been impressive so far.
Harden led the scorers with a 30-point performance in Game 5. After the win, Max Strus applauded Harden for his greatness.
He's a pro's pro… you don't become one of the best players this game has ever seen without showing up every day. I think that is one thing I've noticed from him and it is his consistency.
Max Strus in his post-match press conferenceHarden has had his share of playoff meltdowns. He was under the scanner once again this year after his poor performances in Games 1 and 2, but he has responded to his critics since then. The Cavs will be hoping to see more from their star player in Game 6 as they look to close out the series at home.
Max Strus missed the majority of the 2025-26 campaign after undergoing surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot in August. He made his return after a lengthy layoff in March and made 12 appearances in the regular season. After his return, many observed that Strus looked much more muscular than in his pre-injury appearance.
When asked about his changed appearance since his return, Strus was caught off guard as he was unaware of his new look.
Do I look better? You're saying I look bigger? I'll take that as a compliment (on looking big like the Pistons players). I did not know. You are out so long, all you do is lift. Anything I could do to stay active. When you can't be on the court for three months, its like 'How can i get better?' and found ways to be in the weight room.
Max Strus in his post-match press conferenceStrus is leading the Cavs' bench by example. He is big enough to bang with Cade Cunningham and played some solid defense on the Pistons guard. He will be instrumental once again if the Cavs have any chance of progressing to the next round.
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