The Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted a brutal game five contest against the Toronto Raptors to steal a 3-2 series lead. Entering Toronto for game six, the Cavs cannot afford a winner-takes-all scenario in game seven.
Cleveland needs to close out the series in Toronto before one bad night can end the season. The Cavaliers entered the first round an obvious favorite to beat the Raptors, but horrible performances in games three and four left the Cavs tied 2-2 as the series returned to Rocket Arena. A career-defining game from Evan Mobley in the clutch and Dennis Schröder's efforts put the Cavaliers in position to advance.
This series has been anything but smooth sailing for the Cavs or the fans watching. A quiet anxiety filled Rocket Arena throughout game five as the crowd hardly cheered or moved a muscle until Cleveland's final push jolted the crowd to life. Toronto's early 12-point lead felt like a death sentence. Donovan Mitchell looked lost on the court, and head coach Kenny Atkinson opted to sit him for most of the first quarter. James Harden took control of the game, hitting threes and dishing out timely dimes.
Harden was not the Cavalier to seal the deal in the fourth quarter, but he was the captain that kept Cleveland alive early on. He showed exactly why the Cavs traded for him in February, but that same trade deadline gamble could be the reason Cleveland is just as nervous in game six as they were in game five.
James Harden's notorious game six history is a problem for Cleveland
For his career, Harden averages 20.6 points, 7.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds in game six. One of Uno's greatest postseason games came in game six against the Golden State Warriors in 2019. He played 39 minutes, scoring 35 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dealing five assists. He also tallied four steals. Despite the Houston Rockets' eventual defeat in that game, Harden carried his team as best he could against a dynastic franchise that just added Kevin Durant that summer.
Unfortunately, for every jaw-dropping performance, Harden has a dud, too. In 2023, Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers lost in a 95-86 game six to the Boston Celtics. Harden gave Philly 13 points on 4-of-16 shooting (0-of-6 from three) and collected five turnovers. He might have gotten nine assists and seven rebounds, but he was still a net negative for his team in a crucial must-win scenario.
The year prior, Harden tallied just 11 points against the Miami Heat in a win-or-go-home moment. He only shot nine times and deferred to Joel Embiid most of the game. He had just as many turnovers (4) as field goals made.
In 2017, Harden endured his worst game six performance of his career, changing the entire conception around the soon-to-be MVP. As the leading star for the Rockets against the San Antonio Spurs, Harden collapsed and handed the Spurs an easy route to the Western Conference Finals. Harden scored just 10 points on a nasueating 2-of-11 shooting. He managed to tally seven assists, but his six turnovers negated his passing.
His defense was horrendous, fouling out after playing 36 minutes. Harden was undoubtedly the worst player on the court that game, and he has yet to recover from the embarrassment. His status as a playoff choker and untrustworthy star was already looming, but his 2017 humiliation cemented the belief that Harden cannot lead a team in the postseason in clutch games.
A lot of the negative commentary around Harden as a playoff faller is mostly overstated, but he is not the superstar that a team wants to depend upon for a must-win game. Harden has not been amazing yet this series and has coughed up far too many unnecessary turnovers. The Cavaliers will need to lean on Mitchell, Mobley and the supporting cast. If Harden can beat the choker allegations, then his brilliance must be the cherry on top of a great game from the entire team.
The Cleveland Cavaliers knew the risks of trading for James Harden. Even with his negative perception in the Playoffs, the Cavs should have confidence entering game six. The team is healthy, Mobley is getting aggressive and the bench is starting to contribute. It takes just one more game to reset the deck and start with a fresh 0-0 against a brand new opponent. The Raptors have exposed every flaw the Cavs tried to hide, but getting the best out of Harden one time can erase all those embarrassing lowlights.
Add us as a preferred source on Google