James Harden’s Game 3 heroics to keep Cavs season alive show why he’s a winner

CLEVELAND — James Harden was the last player on the practice floor after the Cleveland Cavaliers’ lone tune-up between Games 2 and 3 of their first-round series against the Toronto Raptors. Everyone else was hurrying out of the team’s facility to prepare for the flight to Canada later that afternoon.

Harden picked up something while watching film from Game 2 of that series. He noticed that they were defending him a certain way, and he wanted to get as much practice as possible to combat Toronto’s scheme. I couldn’t tell what that specific thing was, only that he was meticulously working on various ways to generate three-point looks when coming off screens on his right.

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All players go through individual drills with coaches to varying degrees. That isn’t unique. The level of focus he approached it with was — especially on an off day. Every time Harden missed a shot or didn’t get the footwork how he wanted coming off the screen, he cursed. Some were under his breath that you would only notice if you were watching. Others you could hear from across the gym.

“There’s a cerebral part of the work he does individually,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said then.

Fast forward two and a half weeks to Game 3 of the second-round series against the Detroit Pistons. The Cavs coughed up what was a 17-point lead in the third quarter, and were trailing at times in the fourth. They needed baskets down the stretch to take and maintain the lead.

Instead of calling his own number, Donovan Mitchell deferred despite leading both teams in points with 35. And the reason was simple.

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“You see the work,” Mitchell said. “He’s worked really hard on his game, and his resume speaks for itself.”

The resume does speak for itself.

Harden is one of the most accomplished guards in NBA history. He’s achieved nearly every individual accolade out there and has climbed the ladder in both all-time points (9th) and assists (12th). Even at 36 years-old, the skills that have allowed him to reach that point are undeniable.

The one hole in his portfolio is a lack of playoff success. His teams have faltered in…

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Publish date : 2026-05-10 03:07:00

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