Trade-deadline acquisition James Harden came through in the clutch during his first two games with the Cavaliers, rallying Cleveland to road victories over the Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets.
“The Beard” and the red-hot Cavaliers will look to continue their winning ways on Wednesday when they host the Washington Wizards. Cleveland has won four straight games, nine of its past 10 and is 11-2 since Jan. 14.
Harden buried the tying 3-pointer with 32 seconds left on Monday in Denver, and he finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in Cleveland’s 119-117 triumph over the Nuggets. Donovan Mitchell made a pair of free throws with 0.9 ticks left to provide the margin of victory.
Mitchell had 32 points and 10 assists while Jarrett Allen continued his surge with 22 points and 13 rebounds as the Cavaliers wrapped up a 4-1 trip against Western Conference foes.
“We’re just hooping on vibes,” said Mitchell, who attended the Super Bowl with his fiancee, singer Coco Jones, who performed in the pregame on Sunday at Santa Clara, Calif. “That’s a testament to who we have on the team right now. We just figured it out.”
The starting backcourt of Harden and Mitchell combined for 58 points and 12 assists in its debut Saturday, a 132-126 Cavaliers win over the Kings. Allen made 11 of 12 shots and had 29 points and 10 rebounds in that contest, helping Cleveland score 75 points in the second half.
Mitchell said it only took one half of one game to develop chemistry with Harden, who was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for fellow point guard Darius Garland on Feb. 4.
“No practices, a couple of film sessions, that’s the way it’s supposed to happen,” Harden said. “We find a way to just get it done.
“Donovan could go out there and literally average 35 points per game, but his willingness to pass and be unselfish is a testament to him as a basketball player.”
The Cavaliers have moved into fourth place in the East, while Washington is mired in 14th following a 132-101 loss to the visiting Miami Heat on Sunday. The Wizards have dropped 13 of their past 17 games, including the past two in a row.
Second-year center Alex Sarr had 12 points, 12 rebounds and five assists after missing one game with an ankle injury, but Washington only dressed 10 players.
“You flush the experience and you focus on the next one,” Wizards point guard Bub Carrington said. “We couldn’t get rebounds, we missed a couple of shots and we turned the ball over. The game changed just like that.”
Carrington, who had 13 points and five assists against Miami, has provided consistent effort and performance. His averages of 10.2 points and 4.6 assists are virtually identical to last season, when he made the All-Rookie second team.
“He’s growing daily and we like how he’s playing,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said. “He sets a good standard for us, bringing a level of intensity and joy for the game we love.”
Recent trade pickup Anthony Davis (finger) may or may not play for Washington this season, but former All-Star Trae Young (knee, quadriceps) is scheduled to be examined next week and could suit up for the initial time in late February.
The Wizards have had no success against Cleveland over the past four years, losing 14 straight — seven at home and seven on the road. They have given up 278 points in two games against the Cavaliers this season.
