James Harden scores season-high 32 as Cavaliers beat Knicks 115-107
James Harden scored 32 points to lead Cleveland to a 115-107 win over New York on Wednesday night.
James Harden scored a season-high 32 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New York Knicks 115-107. Donovan Mitchell added 23 points for Cleveland, while Jalen Brunson scored 27 for the Knicks.
Key takeaways
- James Harden scored a season-high 32 points for Cleveland
- Cleveland won 115-107 over New York
- Donovan Mitchell added 23 points
- Jalen Brunson scored 27 for the Knicks
James Harden scored a season-high 32 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 115-107 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Harden finished 9 of 14 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3-point range in 33 minutes, committing just two turnovers. Donovan Mitchell added 23 points for Cleveland, and Jarrett Allen contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The win snapped the Knicks' four-game winning streak and came after Cleveland had started the season 5-6 in Harden's first full season with the team following his acquisition from the Clippers.
Harden ends slow start with vintage performance
4 percent from the field. The three-time NBA scoring champion, who averaged more than 30 points in each of his three scoring-title seasons, had managed five baskets and six turnovers over his previous two games, according to Coach Kenny Atkinson.
Atkinson said he had seen flashes of the old Harden in recent contests and believed the guard was getting back to his level.
Atkinson suggested playing at Madison Square Garden, where Harden shares the opponent scoring record of 61 points with Kobe Bryant, may have sparked the strong performance, calling Harden a "global superstar" and saying those types of players love playing in New York.
Cavaliers hold off late Knicks rally
Cleveland repeatedly opened leads in the second half that New York erased or nearly erased. The Cavaliers went ahead 95-85 with 8:25 remaining, but the Knicks answered with a 14-4 run to tie the game at 101-all.
Harden then hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 4:21 left to break the tie. With 33 seconds remaining and Cleveland up five, Harden stayed with Miles McBride on a transition play long enough for Peyton Watson to record a chase-down block.
Evan Mobley scored before Allen added the next four points, including a dunk to make it 110-103.
Jalen Brunson scored 27 points for the Knicks, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, tying Willis Reed's franchise record with his 11th straight double-double to begin a season.
Harden addresses criticism and adaptation
Harden acknowledged after the game that he is still trying to figure out how to play alongside Donovan Mitchell at age 37 in his 18th NBA season. Harden said, "I used to score a lot of points. Now it's like, all right, cool...
" He also said, "It's not gonna be perfect...
" Harden said he was criticized earlier in his career for being a scorer but not a winner, and that people will always talk, so he focuses on himself, getting in good shape, learning his teammates, and playing a different brand of basketball because he is not the same fast person that he was like five or six years ago.
What happens next
Both teams will play on Friday night: the Cavaliers visit the Heat, while the Knicks visit the Pacers.
Game summary
Team | Score | Key scorer |
|---|---|---|
Cleveland Cavaliers | 115 | James Harden 32 |
New York Knicks | 107 | Jalen Brunson 27 |
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