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Anthony Gharib, ESPN
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 121-119 Tuesday night in miraculous fashion, catching the attention of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce in the process.
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, making it the second-longest game-winning buzzer-beater during the 3-point era (since 1979-80), according to ESPN Stats & 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 Mahomes and Kelce to engage in some friendly banter on social media.
The Chiefs quarterback was stunned, while Kelce offered praise for Cleveland’s recent run — the Cavaliers are 7-3 in their past 10 games.
🗣️Straight cash!!! Them boys got the juice right now!! @cavs 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/vUfl4XxIGk
— Travis Kelce (@tkelce) February 28, 2024
The NFL players were born near the home cities of the two teams and have made their respective fandoms clear through the years.
Mahomes, born in Tyler, Texas, and his wife, Brittany, received a signed Luka Doncic jersey while attending a Mavericks game last November. Doncic posted a goat emoji on X after the Chiefs won their second consecutive Super Bowl.
The star tight end and his brother, Jason Kelce, are from Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Their hometown serves as an inspiration for the name of their “New Heights” podcast. Travis told Sports Illustrated in 2016 that he cried when the Cavaliers won the NBA championship that year. The Cavs announced earlier this month that he and Jason will have a bobblehead night on March 5.