James

Harden

The Cavaliers are locked into their playoff seed, so most of the team’s key contributors will not play on Sunday. Max Strus and Jaylon Tyson aren’t on the injury report, but with both having missed time due to injury, their minutes will likely be limited against the Wizards.

With Donovan Mitchell (ankle) sidelined for this game, Harden was the primary source of offense for Cleveland. He did most of his work in the first half but still ended up leading the team in scoring. This was an ugly loss, but the Cavs were without multiple starters, so they were clearly fine with the outcome. Harden has been a big piece for Cleveland since he was traded and helped them be one of the best teams in the East since the trade deadline. He’ll certainly give them a chance to make a deep run in the playoffs.

For the first time since March 21-24, Harden has scored 20 points or more in consecutive games. However, he was anything but efficient against the Hawks. Harden shot 2-of-13 from inside the arc on Wednesday, sinking his overall field-goal percentage. The good news for fantasy managers in active leagues is that he committed just two turnovers. Harden will look to put together a better shooting night when the Cavaliers visit the Hawks on Friday.

Harden and Strus will return after both players sat out Monday’s matchup with the Pacers. The game was the second leg of a back-to-back set, so their absences were likely maintenance-related. Harden and Strus should each handle their typical workloads.

Harden is out after scoring 28 points in Sunday’s win over the Pacers. His absence means that Dennis Schröder will get a spot start. For those competing in active fantasy leagues, the veteran is worth streaming.

While the move to Cleveland has allowed Harden to do less as a scorer, the absence of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on Sunday meant that more was required of The Beard. He answered the call, with the 28 points being the most in a game for Harden since he put up 36 in a March 19 win over the Bulls. In addition to the points, Harden provided fantasy managers with a complete stat line in his final game of Week 23.

Harden’s night in San Francisco wasn’t as prolific as one would expect, but he was available when the Cavaliers needed him most. Down the stretch, the two-man game between and center Jarrett Allen (16 points, 13 rebounds and one steal) produced some key baskets to help Cleveland remain one game in the loss column behind New York for third place in the East. The Cavaliers are off until Sunday, when they host the lottery-bound Pacers. That could be a game where Harden gets his gaudy assist numbers.

On a night when Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points each, Harden had one of his most productive nights as a Cavalier in the assist category. He has reached double figures in that category five times since being traded to Cleveland, including each of the team’s last two games. In wins over the Heat and Jazz, The Beard accumulated 28 assists and two turnovers. Cleveland plays three more games in Week 23, starting with the Lakers on Tuesday.

Cleveland’s “others” handled a large chunk of the scoring on Friday, with Harden doing a masterful job of running the show. He recorded 14 assists and committed just one turnover, more than compensating for a 4-of-11 night from the field. Donovan Mitchell (6/4/6/4) struggled shooting the basketball, going 1-of-10 from the field, but the Cavaliers had plenty of help in one of their best showings of the season.

Harden has been on a tear during this four-game winning streak. He has averaged 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 4.3 triples over his last four games while shooting 50 percent from the floor. He’ll look to keep the hot shooting up against the Heat on Wednesday and Friday to close out the week.