After struggling in Detroit, James Harden silenced critics with a vintage fourth-quarter takeover, drilling three clutch buckets to revive Cleveland Cavaliers' postseason hopes.
The NBA playoffs are a fickle mistress.
Two games into the Cavaliers' second-round series with the Detroit Pistons, James Harden was public enemy No. 1 in Cleveland after delivering two dud performances on the road in Games 1 and 2.
Entering Sunday, the former MVP had scored just 16 points on 9-of-28 shooting, including 1-of-7 from three. He had also committed 11 turnovers, which contributed in a damning way to the Pistons' racking up 55 points off turnovers in those first two games.
In this what have you done for me lately time of year in the NBA" though, the next game is always the most important. Harden made the most of Game 3, silencing the groundswell of blame directed his way to whispers as he drilled three straight shots in crunch time to lift the Cavs to victory, breathing some life into their season.
His final statline: 19 points on 8-of-19 shooting, including 3-of-7 from three, to go along with seven assists, 2 boards and a steal. Maybe most importantly, he cut his steals down to just three.
And those three pivotal shots. Oh, those three shots.
A patented Harden mid-range, stepback after crossing up Tobias Harris to give Cleveland a 108-104 lead with 1:29 to play.
A floating layup, one possession later, after leaving Duncan Robinson in the dust near the point.
And then, the dagger, drilling a three-pointer on Harris with 25 seconds to play to turn a one-point lead into a four-point lead, 113-109.
It was vintage James Harden.
"It's the James Harden I've seen for how many years has been in the NBA, you know," Atkinson emphasized after the game. "That's the James we know. We needed it tonight, right? We're searching and, you know, we got some good screenings into some matchups we wanted, and he went to work."
On a day where Harden's superstar teammate, Donovan Mitchell, looked like the best player on the floor, en route to 35 point son 13-of-24 shooting, Harden settled in perfectly into the supporting role Cleveland hoped he could be when it acquired him at the trade deadline.
And when things got tight down the stretch, Harden slipped out of sidekick mode to lift the team to victory. For a duo that has had a mere two-and-a-half months to strike the right chords with one another, Saturday afternoon was a symphony.
"It's James Harden, right? Like, I am who I am. He is who he is," Mitchell said of his willingness to concede to the future Hall of Famer in crunch time. "There's a balance, right? Your attack, you're on the side. It also gives you rest as well, right? And having the ultimate trust in him, and vice versa, I think, is why those moments happen. And every game is different ... you've got to be able to just kind of find a way to manipulate it and be selfless. And I think, as a collective, that's the biggest thing."
Harden was exactly what Cleveland needed him to be on Saturday. He wasn't asked to facilitate the offense quite as much, but when he did, he was decisive, making the right play rather than reverting back to the hero ball that's defined much of his playing career, and cost his team massively earlier in this series.
Understanding how to navigate that role is why the Cavs are back in it.
It all won't matter come Monday.
Games 1 and 2 are water under the bridge. Game 3 reminded everyone of the threat that he can still be. The Cavaliers are bound to need more of it in this series and these playoffs.
Cavs Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Cavs. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.