Knicks-Cavs : Le show James Harden à New York !

Four days after their home loss to the New York Knicks (97-109), the Cleveland Cavaliers responded on the court at Madison Square Garden. On Wednesday night, Cleveland defeated New York 115-107, ending the defending champions' four-game winning streak and returning to a .500 record (6-6).

The key player in this victory was James Harden. With 32 points (9/14 shooting, including 5/7 from three-point range) and 4 assists in 33 minutes, the Cavaliers' point guard had his best game of the season. This performance came at a crucial time, just days after the loss to the Knicks in Ohio.

In the locker room at Madison Square Garden, Harden reflected on his team's reaction and the work done after this first confrontation.

“Clearly, we reacted very well,” he said. “This morning, we reviewed some things for the whole team, and tonight was a great way to respond. Now, I think we need to maintain this momentum, build on this victory, and gain confidence. Obviously, they are the defending champions, so for us, we had to be aggressive, start well, and maintain that level throughout the match.”

The Cavaliers set the tone right from the first quarter, winning it 33-23. Despite comeback attempts by the Knicks, led by Jalen Brunson (27 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (21 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists), Cleveland maintained their lead until the end. Donovan Mitchell added 23 points, Jarrett Allen grabbed 14 rebounds, while Tyrese Proctor (15 points) and Meleek Thomas (14 points) made significant contributions off the bench.

Veteran Harden also has another role to play on this team: that of a mentor to the younger players. It's a balance he says he's trying to find, without wanting to impose his advice on everyone.

“I think you have to know when to talk,” the Cleveland point guard explained. “There are so many different things everyone wants to tell young people, so I know it can be a little overwhelming. You just have to choose when to give them advice without overwhelming them.”

On an individual level, Harden's start to the season is far from his usual standards, averaging 16.7 points in the first twelve games. But the former MVP is embracing this new distribution of responsibilities, particularly alongside Donovan Mitchell.

“This is my 18th season, my name is James Harden, and I used to score a lot of points,” he continued. “Now it’s more like: OK, cool, I’m still scoring, but I’m finding other ways to influence the game, and I think people don’t quite understand that. Donovan (Mitchell), his average is a lot of points. He’s a scoring machine on this team. So I just pick my moments to be aggressive and score, and do other things that help us win.”

I started slowly, but I think I'm finding my rhythm again. I'm going to work extremely hard, put in the training, so that things eventually work out.

The message is clear: Harden wants to get back to his best, but without losing sight of the team's goal. And the Cavaliers will soon have another opportunity to test themselves against the Knicks. The two teams will meet again on November 25 at Madison Square Garden, this time for an NBA Cup game.