Harden drops 23 in Cavs debut, Mitchell pours in 35 as Cleveland tops Kings 132-126
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — James Harden scored 23 points in his first appearance for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night, helping the visitors defeat the Sacramento Kings 132-126 and hand the Kings a 12th consecutive loss.
Harden, acquired Wednesday from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round pick, shot 7-for-13 from the field and 5-for-8 from beyond the arc while adding eight assists.
Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 35 points, 29 of them after halftime, as Cleveland won for the eighth time in nine games. Center Jarrett Allen contributed 29 points and 10 rebounds.
“I just have to figure out where I fit in,” Harden said after the game. “I told the guys, ‘Do what you do, and I’ll figure it out.’” Mitchell added that the pair needed “a half” to adjust to each other on the court before finding a rhythm in the fourth quarter.
Nique Clifford paced Sacramento with 30 points, and Russell Westbrook finished with 21 points and nine assists. The Kings, whose last victory came on Jan. 16 against the Washington Wizards, have now dropped six straight at Golden 1 Center.
Cleveland led 57-55 at halftime, but Sacramento moved in front 96-93 late in the third quarter before the Cavaliers closed out the game behind Mitchell’s scoring surge and Harden’s playmaking.
Source: ESPN
