It all came down to James Harden on Saturday. That finally turned out to be a good thing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The most criticized player of the series wound up being the hero of Game 3, scoring seven points across three consecutive possessions to keep his team ahead in a 116-109 win over the Detroit Pistons. It was very much needed, given what Cade Cunningham was doing on the other end.
The final shot: a dagger in the face of Tobias Harris.
Harden entered the game with the criticism of his postseason résumé as loud as it’s ever been. Through two games against Detroit, he had posted more turnovers (11) than field goals (9) or assists (10). His miss in the final minute of Game 2 sealed the game for the Pistons.
It was an easy thing to joke about — the Cavaliers trading for Harden then being surprised he isn’t performing in the playoffs — and people did. A lot.
However, when asked by NBC’s Ashley ShahAhmadi about silencing the chatter, Harden had the answer you would hope to hear if you’re Cleveland: “What chatter?”
He went on:
“I play basketball. Whatever this team needs me to do, I’m going to go out there and do it. Letting the game play out, fourth quarter, my number was called and I go to work.”
Harden finished the game with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting and 7 assists against 3 turnovers. Donovan Mitchell had the bigger night overall with 35 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, but Harden coming alive in the fourth quarter is as encouraging a sign as the Cavaliers could get.
They still have work to do down 2-1, though. Game 4 is scheduled for Monday in Cleveland (8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock).
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