The Cleveland Cavaliers head home trailing the Detroit Pistons 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but James Harden made it clear Thursday night that there is no panic in the locker room.
Following Cleveland’s 107-97 loss in Game 2, Harden repeatedly pointed to small mistakes — not fundamental flaws — as the difference in the series.
“I think we won a possession game,” Harden said after the loss at Little Caesars Arena. “We just didn’t make shots.”
The Cavaliers shot just 7-for-32 from 3-point range and missed all 11 attempts from deep in the fourth quarter. Harden struggled offensively, finishing with 10 points on 3-for-13 shooting and committing four turnovers.
Still, the veteran guard believes Cleveland created enough opportunities to win.
“We had opportunities in this three-point game,” Harden said. “We gave up offensive rebound and eight of three. So we had plenty of chances.”
Detroit’s physicality and second-chance points repeatedly hurt the Cavaliers late. The Pistons collected critical offensive rebounds during a decisive fourth-quarter stretch after Cleveland briefly took an 81-79 lead on an Evan Mobley dunk.
Harden said those breakdowns continue to decide clutch possessions.
“Offensive rebound, just small things,” Harden said. “It’s not really a lot. I think we getting a shot up. It’s just the things that we can control.”
The Cavaliers have now lost back-to-back close games despite staying within striking distance deep into the fourth quarter both times. Harden emphasized that Cleveland’s margin for error has been thin throughout the series.
“Our error is small,” Harden said. “Limit turnovers, rebounding the basketball, and we’ll be fine.”
While Harden’s shooting line stood out, he defended the offensive adjustments Cleveland made in the second half. Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said postgame that Harden took only two shots after halftime, something the coach said “can’t happen” moving forward.
Harden, however, viewed the situation differently.
“Second half, I think I took two shots, but I think the ball was moving and we were getting better shots,” Harden said. “So just picking and choosing my spots and figuring out what works, what doesn’t work, for the betterment of the team.”
The Cavaliers looked noticeably quicker offensively after halftime, with Donovan Mitchell attacking the paint aggressively on his way to 31 points. Harden said pace and spacing were the biggest differences.
“Getting our pace, our spacing on the floor has been the first two halves really tight,” Harden said. “Like we haven’t really given each other space to operate.”
Detroit’s length on the perimeter has complicated Cleveland’s half-court offense throughout the series. Harden credited the Pistons’ defense but also said Cleveland has contributed to its own struggles by crowding the floor.
“They are a good defensive team, but if our spacing isn’t right, they’re an even better defensive team,” Harden said.
Despite the rough shooting night, Harden repeatedly stressed that the Cavaliers still believe the series is within reach. Cleveland went 4-0 at home during its first-round series against Toronto and now returns to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse needing a response in Game 3.
“They did what they did at home,” Harden said. “So we get an opportunity to go home and do what we supposed to do.”
The Pistons, meanwhile, continue to gain confidence behind Cade Cunningham, who finished with 25 points and 10 assists, while Tobias Harris added 21 points and Duncan Robinson knocked down five 3-pointers.
Even with Detroit controlling the series, Harden insisted Cleveland sees a path forward if it cleans up the details.
“We’ve had chances both games in the fourth quarter,” Harden said. “So just the small things, the margin like I just said isn’t a large margin.”
