His right thumb isn’t fully healedbut James Harden returned to the floor and made an immediate impact. In the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 106-102 road win over the Brooklyn Nets, the former Clipper finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, shooting 4-of-7 from three and delivering in the game’s defining moments.
It was far from a routine return, considering the 11-time All-Star was coming off a thumb fracture suffered just days earlier against the New York Knicks. He missed two games, then chose to come back despite the pain and a condition clearly short of 100 percent.
James Harden Decisive Even Below Full Strength
The first half showed a cautious version of Harden: 8 points and controlled pace, with Brooklyn leading 52-46 at the break. The message was clear: Cleveland needed more to flip the momentum.
The response came in the third quarter. Two free throws, then a four-point play that ignited the comeback and pushed the Cavs ahead 70-64 with 4:40 left in the period. In that stretch, the difference between a good player and a veteran capable of reading the moment was evident.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t hide the early struggles:
At 36, it doesn’t take athletic explosions to change a game. It takes talent and poise. Harden put both on display when it mattered most – and for the Cavs, that’s more than enough.
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