The Cleveland Cavaliers welcomed back a familiar star Sunday, and got back in the win column because of it.
James Harden scored 22 points in his return from a fractured thumb, helping the Cavaliers snap a two-game skid with a 106-102 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Harden, who missed two games after suffering a non-displaced fracture of the distal phalanx in Tuesday’s win over New York, showed little rust. The 17-year veteran — acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 4 — shot 5-for-9 from the field, drilled 4 of 7 from 3-point range and went 8-for-12 at the free-throw line. He also flirted with a triple-double, adding nine rebounds and eight assists.
Cleveland improved to 12-1 in its last 13 meetings with Brooklyn behind a balanced effort. Jarrett Allen scored 20 points, while Evan Mobley delivered 16 points and 13 rebounds. Sam Merrill chipped in 15 points and Dennis Schroder added 10, including clutch free throws in the closing seconds.
The Nets, meanwhile, continued to spiral. Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting, and Danny Wolf added 23 points and nine rebounds. Nolan Traore contributed 17 points and Grant Nelson had 11, but Brooklyn dropped its eighth straight and fell to 15-45 on the season.
The Nets controlled the first half, shooting 50% (21 of 42) from the floor to build a 56-42 halftime advantage. But the Cavaliers flipped the momentum after the break, tightening defensively and finding rhythm offensively.
Cleveland led by eight with just over three minutes remaining before Brooklyn mounted one final push. Traore’s basket with 28.6 seconds left trimmed the deficit to 102-99. Wolf then sank two free throws with 9.2 seconds remaining to make it a one-point game.
Schroder calmly knocked down a pair from the line to push the lead to three. Wolf split two free throws to cut it to two with 5.9 seconds left, but Schroder and Mobley iced the game at the stripe in the final moments.
The Cavaliers secured the win despite playing without Donovan Mitchell (groin) for a third straight contest and Dean Wade (sprained ankle).
Up next: Cleveland returns home to host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, while Brooklyn travels to face the Miami Heat.
