"Score A Lot Of Points" - James Harden Breaks Silence Over Slow Season Start After Impressive Win Against New York Knicks

James Harden talks about his slow season start© Instagram/ jharden13

James Harden has been waiting on this one for a while. After a sluggish opening to the season, he poured in 32 against the Knicks. After the game, he broke his silence on the whole thing, ranging from scoring points to impacting the overall game in other ways. His current average is 16.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

Shaking Off The Slow Start

The early numbers weren't pretty. Through his first 11 games, Harden got past 20 points exactly one time. So when he reeled off 32, a season high for the 37-year-old, who put pen to paper on a three-year, $97 million extension in August, it felt like a real release. During the post game conference, Harden stated, “I'm still trying to figure it out. It's my 18th year, so...My name is James Harden. I used to score a lot of points…You still score points. But it is part of the other ways that impact the game as well. And I think that's what people probably don't understand.” He appreciated Donovan for carrying the team. Towards the end, he believed that the Cavalier star will find the rhythm once again and will keep working towards it.

Harden picked a good moment for the big shot too. The score was locked at 101-101 with just over five minutes left when Harden buried a three with 4:22 on the clock. Cleveland never trailed again. After weeks of searching for rhythm, that one probably felt pretty good.

Cavaliers Break Through In New York

The result was just as big as the player. Cleveland beat the Knicks 115-107, ending a five-game skid against them that went back to May, when New York swept the Eastern Conference finals and later won its first title in 53 years. The Cavs needed it, as they'd won only once in their previous five games this month.

Harden wasn't alone. Donovan Mitchell chipped in 23 points, seven boards and six assists, and Jarrett Allen came away with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Tyrese Proctor and Meleek Thomas both reached double figures off the bench, with 15 and 14.

The Knicks made it uncomfortable. They fell behind by 12 early, pulled even twice in the third, and then wiped out a 10-point hole in the fourth. Brunson led them with 27, and Towns had 21 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists. Cleveland pulled away at the end anyway.