The Golden State Warriors dropped a close contest to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, 118-111. 

The Warriors got strong efforts from Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski, who each scored 25 points. 

Off the bench, LJ Cryer and Pat Spencer each scored 12 points. 

Draymond Green (eight points, nine rebounds, and nine assists) and Kristaps Porzingis (16 points, seven rebounds, and two assists) were both in the lineup, but Steph Curry remained out. 

For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell led the team with 25 points and Max Strus chipped in with 24 points. James Harden had 19 points on 7-11 shooting and 3-6 from three. All five Cavs starters scored in double figures. 

After the game, Santos explained why it's so difficult to cover Harden. 

"He’s got a lot of stuff he can do you know. Step-back threes and if the plan is send him down the lane, he’s going to drive down the lane and he’s going to floater or he’s going to throw it up for, you know, they’ve got two guys that can catch lobs," he said. 

Santos noted that because of Harden's lob ability to Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley, it makes it harder for Draymond or Porzingis to help. 

Harden finished the game with five assists, but did have four turnovers. 

Santos also explained that the Warriors were trying to get Harden to drive with his right hand, but praised him for making his floater.

Harden scored 14 points in the paint, including a dagger floater late in the fourth where he got by Santos.

Though he's 36-years-old and his scoring numbers have dropped from his historic numbers nearly a decade ago, Harden remains one of the elite scorers in the game. 

He helped change the game, for better or worse, during his time with the Rockets when he would take only threes or find his way to the rim, either scoring or drawing a foul. 

Though it's a smaller sample size of only 23 games, his efficiency numbers with the Cavaliers are at a career high with a 59% effective field goal percentage. He's shooting 48% from the field on 13 attempts per game, and 43% from three on 6.8 attempts per game. 

He won the scoring title three straight years in 2018, 2019, and 2020, averaging 33.7 points in those three seasons. He's ninth all-time in career points, surpassing Shaquille O'Neal in January. 

He needs 2,149 points to catch Wilt Chamberlain for eighth, which works out to averaging 26.2 points per game across a full 82-game season. If Harden plays 150 more games in his career, he needs to average just 14.3 points.