James Harden continued to struggle in the postseason, shooting 3 of 13 from the field, missing all four 3-point attempts and committing four turnovers in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 107-97 loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the report says.
It marked the second straight game in this series that Harden had difficulties and the fourth time in nine postseason games that he finished with more turnovers than field goals, per the report. Donovan Mitchell, who scored 31 points after a recent scoring lull, reiterated confidence in his backcourt partner, saying, “He’s James Harden; we’re not sitting here worried,” and adding, “He’s going to figure this out.”
The report says Cleveland trail the series 2-0 after losing both games in Detroit, with the series shifting to Cleveland for Game 3 on Saturday. The Cavaliers made a midseason move to acquire Harden, trading Darius Garland to the LA Clippers for the 17-year veteran with the aim of getting past a postseason hurdle, the report says.
Harden was scoreless in the first and fourth quarters, and though he made all four of his free throws, he struggled to create separation on his step-back jumper and had trouble getting into the paint consistently, per the report. After scoring eight points in the second quarter, Harden attempted only two shots in the second half, and the Cavaliers were outscored by 15 points when he was on the floor — the worst plus/minus of any player who appeared in Game 2, the report says.
Coach Kenny Atkinson took responsibility for Harden’s limited involvement in the second half, saying he devised a faster-paced plan that left Harden less involved. The report says Harden committed a late turnover when he tried to drive past Tobias Harris with Cleveland down six and 33.3 seconds remaining. Mitchell acknowledged he could have stayed in the corner on that possession and stressed the need for better spacing and coordination, saying the team has been having conversations and believes it will “figure it out.”
