Max Strus had a forgettable outing in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals. He had great looks in that series opener against the Denver Nuggets but his shots simply refused to fall. His atrocious shooting helped spell the doom for the Miami Heat, which played catch-up to the Nuggets for the most part of the contest. Nevertheless, Strus is not one to lose hope just because he turned into a walking brick factory in a playoff game.

“Right away. Can’t dwell on it, Max Strus said during the Heat’s practice on Saturday when asked about how much time it takes him to recover from a bad-shooting night. “Luckily it was only Game 1, so we’ve got more to play. But I’m ready. I wanted to play right after the game was over. I’m not going to let that keep me down. I’m ready for the next game. Going to bring the same energy and effort and hopefully make some shots while I’m at it.”

Max Strus laid an egg in Game 1, as he missed all 10 attempts from the field, nine of which were taken from behind the arc. Despite his atrocious shooting, he and the Heat can take heart from the fact that he got plenty of wide-open chances. He just couldn’t bury them. Positive regression could also be on the side of Strus in Game 2. He can’t be cold forever and after bricking a ton of shots, there’s just no way but up for the former DePaul Blue Demons star.

Against the Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, Strus shot 34.2 percent from behind the arc.