Vintage James Harden leads Cavs in 115-107 win over Knicks
Harden looked like an All-Star caliber player tonight.
Cleveland Cavaliers secured a hard-fought 115-107 victory over the New York Knicks in a game marred by five consecutive losses prior to this Eastern Conference Finals. Headlining the Cleveland squad was James Harden, who has been the subject of criticism throughout the season. Harden demonstrated his resilience with a stellar half, scoring 17 points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting during the opening quarters – a significant improvement from his season average of 15 points per game.
His isolation scoring kept the Cavaliers from succumbing to defensive pressures from the Knicks, who have been a thorn in the side throughout the season.
Rookie Meleek Thomas and sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor also made significant contributions to the win. Thomas found his rhythm early in the second quarter, draining fall-away jumpers and thwarting pick-and-rolls. Proctor, meanwhile, chipped in with 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting, providing a crucial role in the Cavs' pivotal runs in the fourth quarter.
Donovan Mitchell further cemented Cleveland's lead by demonstrating patience against New York's double teams, utilizing his ball-handling skills to keep the offense flowing. Peyton Watson added to the Cavs' defensive efforts with four blocks, despite shooting poorly from the floor. This defensive prowess, combined with the team's overall effort and connectivity, was a marked improvement over their last two games.
The Cavaliers' win leaves them with a 6-6 record, and they are set to face off against the Miami Heat in the upcoming game.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
