The Cleveland Cavaliers are just one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals, and James Harden is a huge reason why. Despite some horrendous games earlier in the playoffs, he showed up when it mattered tonight, leading the Cavaliers to a four-point win over the Detroit Pistons (117-113).
After the final buzzer, Harden explained the conditions that led to his legacy-saving performance. As Donovan Mitchell struggled with his shot (21 points on 7-18 shooting), the Cavs had a greater scoring need that he was all too happy to fill. Notably, the Pistons loosened up on defense, seemingly daring Harden to take control of the game.
“The game, just literally, how they were guarding us. Taking what was working offensively. Opportunities to be aggressive. Don struggled a little offensively, but that’s why he has a team and guys to pick him up. Max came through and made some big shots. Caris came in and played extremely well. It was just a team effort. Tonight was just one of those nights where we found something, and I was aggressive.”
Historically, Harden has struggled in the playoffs, experiencing significant drops in performance relative to his usual standards. This year was no different, with Game 2 being a low point at just 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and zero blocks on 3-13 shooting in the 10-point loss. Finally, Harden is breaking through, and his performance tonight (30 points, eight rebounds, six assists, one steal, three blocks on 38.1% shooting) could be hinting at even greater things to come.
“This is new for me,” said Harden. “I’ve only been here two and a half months. So the things that we were going through are all new. Learning how to be a second option and feed playoff Donovan, and when to be aggressive when he has it going, like last game, in the second half. He’s capable of doing that every game. It’s finding when to be aggressive and when to be a playmaker. Then, offensively, finding what works for us, for me to be successful in getting guys shots and open looks. So, it all comes together, and I think we are building in the right direction. Throughout that process, there’s gonna be some times where we don’t look as great, but I think overall we all got the right mindset of wanting to help each other get better, and I think we are finding that lately.”
Harden only played 26 games for the Cavaliers before round one, barely enough time to get familiar with his new teammates. Nevertheless, he approached the playoffs with a fearless mentality, trusting in his own talents and in the potential of his stacked Cavaliers team. While the road hasn’t been easy, Harden has proven something through these first two rounds.
After multiple big games against the Raptors and Pistons, Harden has successfully proven that he can rise to the occasion and play his best basketball when the stakes are highest. In the process, the Cavaliers are well on their way to a major breakthrough in the Eastern Conference. With a 3-2 lead over the top seed in the East, the Cavs have a chance to close the series at home if they can match the Pistons’ intensity and play with the appropriate urgency.
