James Harden reached a career milestone on Monday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers. Harden scored 21 points, pushing his career total past 29,000. The Cavaliers secured a 115-101 victory over a depleted 76ers team.
Cavaliers Dominate Short-Handed 76ers
The Cavaliers benefited from the absence of Philadelphia’s top four scorers. Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Paul George, and VJ Edgecombe were all unavailable. Philadelphia has now lost two in a row and four of their last five games.
Cleveland’s Keon Ellis contributed 19 points off the bench. Donovan Mitchell added 17 points and six assists. Evan Mobley scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Harden’s Historic Achievement
Harden reached the 29,000-point milestone with a free throw in the first quarter. He now has 29,017 points across 17 seasons. Harden scored nine points in the third quarter. The Cavaliers extended their lead to 84-59 in the third.
Home Comforts for Cleveland
Cleveland is 8-1 at home since January 23. Their only home loss in that stretch was against Boston. The Cavaliers have won 18 of their last 24 games overall. They are fourth in the Eastern Conference, one game behind New York.
- The Cavaliers swept their four-game season series with Philadelphia.
- They scored 497 points combined in those contests.
- Ellis had 14 points and made four 3-pointers in the first half.
Quentin Grimes scored 17 points for Philadelphia. Cameron Payne added 12 points, and Justin Edwards had 14 points. Grimes scored 14 for the 76ers in the first half.
Jarrett Allen missed his second straight game for the Cavaliers due to right knee tendinitis.
The 76ers host Memphis on Tuesday night, while the Cavaliers visit Philadelphia on Wednesday night.