Cavaliers vs. Knicks: James Harden Answers Critics With Season-High 32
Harden came in averaging 15.3 points, then dropped 32 at Madison Square Garden as Cleveland held off New York 115-107.
James Harden heard the noise. On Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, he answered it.
Harden scored a season-high 32 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 5 of 7 from 3, as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New York Knicks 115-107. He came into the night averaging just 15.3 points through 11 games, ESPN reported.
Cavaliers vs. Knicks: How Cleveland closed it out
Cleveland led most of the night, 33-23 after one quarter and 59-53 at halftime. The Knicks never led after the first quarter, but they kept coming. Down 97-88 in the fourth, New York ripped off a 13-4 run and tied it at 101 on two OG Anunoby free throws, per the Akron Beacon Journal.
Then Harden took over again. His 3-pointer in the fourth put the Cavs ahead for good, Field Level Media reported, and Cleveland outscored New York 14-6 over the final 5:09.
The play of the night came with the Knicks down 110-107. Miles McBride had what looked like an open look in transition, but Peyton Watson chased him down and blocked the layup. Cleveland went the other way, and Jarrett Allen finished it with a dunk and the free throw, Knicks On SI noted.
James Harden fires back at critics
Harden didn’t hide from the criticism afterward. He pointed out that when he was averaging 35 or 36 points, people said a team couldn’t win that way, and that when he scored in the 20s, the complaint was the same. He admitted he’s still figuring out his role in Cleveland.
Coach Kenny Atkinson said he’d seen flashes of the old Harden and thought the Garden lit a fire under him. Harden shares the record for most points by an opponent at MSG, 61, with Kobe Bryant, ESPN noted. Wednesday’s game also tied him with Allen Iverson for the 11th-most 30-point games in NBA history, according to Yahoo Sports.
| Cavaliers 115, Knicks 107 | Stat line |
|---|---|
| James Harden, CLE | 32 pts, 9-14 FG, 5-7 3PT |
| Donovan Mitchell, CLE | 23 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast |
| Jarrett Allen, CLE | 11 pts, 14 reb |
| Jalen Brunson, NYK | 27 pts, 5 ast |
| Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK | 21 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast |
| Miles McBride, NYK | 19 pts off the bench |
A win Cleveland needed
The Cavs (6-6) had lost four of five after a 5-2 start, and this was their first win over New York in six tries, a streak that dated back to last season’s Eastern Conference finals, Fear The Sword noted. Cleveland also got 15 points from Tyrese Proctor and 14 from Meleek Thomas off the bench.
The Knicks (6-5) got another double-double from Karl-Anthony Towns, who has been piling them up, but they shot only 11 free throws to Cleveland’s 25.
Both teams are back on the floor Friday. The Knicks visit Indiana, and the Cavs head to Miami to face a Heat team that has Giannis Antetokounmpo playing through a wrist sprain.
