James Harden will miss the Pistons clash with a thumb injury
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be shorthanded for their showdown against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Friday as the star guard James Harden is turned off due to a thumb injury, per the team. Harden was the Cavs’ main acquisition at the trade deadline hopes to make a jump in the Eastern standings and a run in the postseason.
James Harden initially suffered an injury during the Cavs’ win against the New York Knicks on Tuesday, and has been sidelined ever since. In the immediate aftermath of the Cavs’ trade for the former All-Star guard, the team won five straight games before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder last weekend.
With Harden sidelined against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday with an injury, the Cavs lost 118-116. Overall, the Cavs are 8-2 in their last 10 games, and currently sit in fourth place in the East. They are 37-23 and only a half game behind the third place Knicks.
Since the deal, Harden has appeared in seven games with just over 32 minutes per game. He averaged 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists while shooting 49.4 percent from the field, 48.8 percent from the 3-point line and 86.7 percent from the free throw line. The sample size is small, but if those field goal and 3-point shooting percentages hold, they would be career highs for the 17-year veteran.
Before the trade, Harden spent the past three and a half seasons playing for his hometown LA Clippers. The Clippers acquired him in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers right at the start of the 2023-24 season.
2026-02-27 23:52:00
