It wasn’t pretty, but the Cleveland Cavaliers did enough to earn James Harden his debut with the team. They defeated the hapless Sacramento Kings 132-126.
The Cavaliers’ starting lineup was understandably in disarray early in the game. Their back four of Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Jalen Tyson and Jarrett Allen struggled to break the defensive glass or stay in front of their opponents on the defensive end. Sacramento used its offense to get off to a hot start.
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On the other hand, Mitchell and Harden seemed unsure about who should control the offense. Neither seemed to want to step on the other’s toes, resulting in a somewhat disjointed and stagnant offense.
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Sacramento extended its lead to double digits midway through the first quarter before the Cavaliers got back into the game with a bench that featured one of Mitchell or Harden.
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The Cavaliers held a slim two-point lead at halftime, but lost that advantage early in the third quarter and the Kings regained a double-digit lead.
Mitchell took over from there. He scored 12 points in the third quarter to help the Cavaliers enter the fourth quarter.
Around the start of the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers’ performance seemed to be off. The Kings led by seven points with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter before the Cavaliers fought back.
Allen’s two points and Harden’s consecutive three-pointers gave the Cavaliers a one-point lead with more than two minutes left in the game.
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The king did not disappear. DeMar DeRozan tied the game with a three-pointer with just over 42 seconds left.
Mitchell then forced a foul on the next possession and made two free throws to give the Cavaliers the lead. The Kings missed their final three shots and the Cavaliers won.
Although the combination of Mitchell and Harden looked awkward in the first three quarters, they looked to work together well for the rest of the game. In the final game, the two combined to score 32 of the team’s 39 points and win.
It wasn’t Harden’s prettiest debut, but you could see how he could help this team, especially down the stretch. His ability to get Allen on the floor easily and the gravity he brings to the offense will be extremely useful. Harden played his best game in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line. He scored 15 points in the fourth quarter.
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That night, Harden made 7 of 13 shots, including 5 of 8 three-pointers, scoring 23 points, 8 assists and 2 rebounds.
Mitchell led the Cavaliers to the finish line. 17 of his 35 points came in the fourth quarter.
Allen also had a great game. He scored 29 points on 11-of-12 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Nique Clifford made 12 of 19 shots and the Kings led by 30 points. Westbrook contributed 21 points and 9 assists.
The Cavaliers are now on a three-game winning streak and eight of their past nine games. That includes a 3-1 record so far on their Western Conference road trip.
The Cavaliers will face the Denver Nuggets in their last stop on the road. They will face off Monday at 9 p.m.
