CLEVELAND (AP) 鈥� James Harden isn鈥檛 worried that the have dropped the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the
The results suggest Harden and his teammates should be alarmed going into Game 3 on Saturday in Cleveland.
鈥淚t鈥檚 2-0. They do what they did at home, so we get an opportunity to go home and do what we鈥檙e supposed to do,鈥� Harden said after the on Thursday night.
In each of the games against the Pistons, the Cavaliers struggled with slow starts in the first quarter, only to rally and then collapse down the stretch. And those performances have increased scrutiny on Harden, who was acquired at the trade deadline to help Cleveland get beyond the second round for the first time since 2018.
If the Cavs fall short of that goal, one reason will be Harden’s propensity for turnovers.
The 17-year veteran and 2018 NBA MVP has more turnovers than field goals in four of Cleveland鈥檚 nine playoff games, including the first two against Detroit.
Harden has never had more than four such games in any postseason. He also had four during Brooklyn鈥檚 11-game playoff run in 2023.
His 47 turnovers are tied for third-most through nine games in the NBA playoffs since individual turnovers were first tracked in 1983. Detroit鈥檚 Cade Cunningham holds the mark with 50 this season, but he is averaging a league-high 30.6 points per game in the playoffs.
鈥淵ou look within first. Look at my turnovers, and a lot of them are just on me. If you get a shot on glass, even half of that, and it鈥檚 a different ball game. For me, I got to be better. I will be better (not) turning the basketball over and getting shots up. It gives our defense a chance to get back and be set,鈥� said Harden, who is averaging 3.5 turnovers in 182 postseason games, third-most among guards.
Harden is struggling in other areas. He is 3 of 20 on 3-pointers in the last four games after going 16 of 39 in the first five games of the Toronto series. On Thursday night, he was 3 of 13 from the field and missed all four shots from beyond the arc.
Harden, averaging 19.6 points in the postseason, took only two shots in the second half. That did not bother him, but it did not please coach Kenny Atkinson.
鈥淭he ball was moving. We鈥檙e getting better shots. Just picking and choosing my spots and figuring out what works and what doesn鈥檛 work for the betterment of the team,鈥� Harden said. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 really given each other space to operate, so that鈥檚 been key. That鈥檚 the most important thing. They are a good defensive team, but if our spacing isn鈥檛 right, they鈥檙e an even better defensive team.鈥�
Harden鈥檚 defense has also been a liability. Detroit was 9 of 14 on shots when he was the main defender, including 3 of 5 on 3-pointers.
鈥淗e鈥檚 James Harden. We鈥檙e not sitting here worried; he鈥檚 going to figure this out, and we have to do a better job around him as well,鈥� All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 spacing or putting him in different positions. And we鈥檒l have that conversation. We鈥檝e been having that conversation, and at the end of the day, we鈥檙e going to figure it out.鈥�
The Cavaliers have trailed by double digits in seven of their last eight playoff games. Cleveland was down 18 in the second quarter during Game 1 on Tuesday and 14 before halftime on Thursday night.
鈥淚 think the biggest thing starts with our self-inflicted turnovers. We won the possession game, but just the way we started hasn鈥檛 been great,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淲e have to figure it out. I think the turnovers are the little things, little details on a lot of the stuff is self-inflicted. But get home, we鈥檒l clean that up and go from there.鈥�
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