James Harden made his Cavaliers debut on Saturday night against the Kings in Sacramento, and he was a big reason his new team won.
Harden, who was acquired from the Clippers for Darius Garland before the trade deadline on Thursday, scored 15 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavs defeated the Kings 132-126.
With the Cavs trailing 121-116 with just under four minutes to go, the 11-time All-Star made threes on back-to-back possessions for Cleveland, and he hit four free throws late in the game to put the game away for the Cavs.
Harden was a perfect 4/4 from the field, including 3/3 from deep in the fourth, and many of those threes were game catch-and-shoot opportunities, which Harden, who is best known for being an isolation player, says is new to him.
“It’s only been one game,” he said. “I don’t know how many catch-and-shoot opportunities I’ve had this year, but this is the first time I felt like I had at least four or five catch-and shoot opportunities. It’s something I gotta get used to.”
Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 35 points, and Harden was impressed by what he saw from his backcourt mate.
“Very, very unselfish,” he said. You didn’t even know he got 35. In the second half, it was just so effortless. It wasn’t forced; he just plays the game the right way.”
Harden, who also added eight assists, is excited about the talent that is in Cleveland.
“A combination of young guys who understand their role,” Harden said. “Athletic bigs, shooting everywhere, a coach coaching really well,” Harden said. “I just have to figure it out. I told them to do what y’all do, and I’ll figure it out. I’m good enough to figure it out.”
We’ll see how this plays out, but this was a great start for Harden. He made big shots and was solid in his debut.
Leave a Reply