Cavaliers 115, 76ers 101: James Harden reaches milestone as Cleveland gets back on winning track

CLEVELAND — Point guard James Harden set an important milestone and helped the Cavaliers get back on the winning track Monday. He became the ninth player in NBA history to reach 29,000 career points with a free throw in the first quarter. Harden had a game-high 21 points, five rebounds and five assists in Cleveland's 115-101 runaway victory over the depleted Philadelphia 76ers. The 17-year veteran also became the second player in history with at least 29,000 points and 8,000 assists, joining former Cavs star LeBron James, who has 43,127 points and 11,892 assists. "His longevity is amazing," Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. "It's a testament to his resiliency to do it for so long." Since being acquired Feb. 4 from the Los Angeles Clippers, he's done nothing but help the Cavs (40-25) win games. Cleveland is 10-2 with Harden in the lineup. "I think of him as a complete player," Atkinson said. "He's given us every detail to help us win. It's incredible. To do this for so long at such a high level is amazing." Harden, 36, took over in the third quarter when he had nine points and four assists as the Cavs turned the game into a blowout. They led 87-66 after three quarters. Atkinson wasn't thrilled with going back to his starters in the fourth quarter after the Sixers (34-30) mounted a brief comeback. "I didn't want to bring the big hitters back into the game," Atkinson said. Philadelphia was playing without its top four players in center Joel Embiid (oblique), guard VJ Edgecombe (lumbar contusion), guard Tyrese Maxey (right finger sprain) and forward Paul George (NBA suspension). Atkinson said before the contest it was an "appropriate fear game." "We've struggled in these games before," he said. "They put the fear of God into you." When the Cavs shot 3-of-13 from the 3-point line in the first quarter, Atkinson was bit concerned. However, top reserve Keon Ellis entered the game in the second quarter and fired in 3-of-4 shots from long distance for 11 of his 19 points. "We're discovering his offensive capabilities," Atkinson said. "When he gets that catch-and-shoot thing going, it's huge." Ellis is known more for his defensive exploits. He said he's used most as a screener or a connector, but he can shoot the ball. "The ball ended up with me being open," he said. "We have a lot of good (players) on this team. Tonight it happened to be me." Guard Donovan Mitchell contributed 17 points and six assists, while forward Dean Wade added 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Power forward Evan Mobley had 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, while swingman Jaylon Tyson added 11 points. Atkinson said the 6-foot-5, 220-pound Harden is a "strong human being." "His body type helps," Atkinson said. "He doesn't waste any energy. It helps him. He knows how to conserve energy and go at the right time." Harden finished 6-for-11 from the field, 3-for-8 from the 3-point line and 6-for-6 from the foul line. "He makes it look easy," Ellis said. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.