Vintage Performance at Madison Square Garden
James Harden delivered his best game of the season on Wednesday night. The 37 year old guard scored 32 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 115-107 victory over the New York Knicks.
Harden made 9 of his 14 shots from the field and hit 5 of his 7 attempts from 3 point range. He scored the tiebreaking 3 pointer with 4:21 left in the game. It was a strong display at Madison Square Garden, where he shares the opponent scoring record of 61 points with Kobe Bryant.
Overcoming a Slow Start
Before Wednesday night, Harden had struggled in his first full season with Cleveland after joining from the Clippers. He entered the game averaging just 15.3 points through 11 games while shooting 34.6 percent from the field. Cleveland had a 5-6 record to start the campaign.
In his previous two outings, Harden had totaled five field goals and six turnovers. Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson noted that he had seen signs of improvement leading up to Wednesday. Atkinson felt that Harden was slowly finding his rhythm and getting back to top form.
Finding a New Style of Play
Harden is a three time NBA scoring champion who averaged over 30 points across three straight seasons in Houston. Now in his 18th season in the league, the former MVP is learning how to play alongside fellow star Donovan Mitchell.
Harden explained that he is no longer the same fast player he was five years ago. He said he is focusing on finding other ways to impact games while getting in good shape and fitting in with his teammates.
Blocking Out Noise
Criticism has followed Harden throughout his career, but he stated that negative talk does not bother him. He recalled being questioned when he scored heavily in Houston and also when his scoring dropped in later years.
Atkinson emphasized that the Cavaliers do not need Harden to score 35 points every night. However, the team hopes his performance against the Knicks is a sign of good things to come as the season moves forward.
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