On Saturday evening, the Cleveland Cavs hit the road to take on the Sacramento Kings as they continue their long West Coast trip. This game marked the first contest for James Harden in a Cavs uniform after the shocking trade that sent him to Cleveland from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Darius Garland last week.
For the most part, Harden played well in his Cavs debut, scoring 23 points on 7-13 shooting from the field to go along with eight assists. It wasn’t a particularly pretty game for the Cavs against the lowly Kings, as they found themselves trailing entering the fourth quarter, but ultimately, they were able to put 39 points on the board in the final frame to secure the victory.
Donovan Mitchell led the way in scoring for Cleveland, as has often been the case this year, scoring 35 points, while Jarrett Allen pitched in 29 of his own.
Meanwhile, this game also marked a reunion of Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder with their former Kings teammates after the Cavs traded De’Andre Hunter to Sacramento last week. Ellis scored six points in the win, while Schroder pitched in seven.
The Cavs’ trade for Harden signaled to the rest of the NBA that the team is all-in on competing for a championship as soon as this year. While Garland is a two-time All-Star at the age of 26, his injury concerns had started to become a major problem in the last couple of seasons, and his play on the court had also diminished somewhat this season.
Meanwhile, Harden remains an All-NBA level point guard who can orchestrate an offense and get his own shot, though major questions still remain about his ability to perform in the postseason.
In any case, the Cavs will next take the court on Monday evening on the road against the Denver Nuggets.