James Harden sets tone with fast start, takes care of ball in Cavaliers win

CLEVELAND — James Harden's postseason has been marred by turnovers, but Monday evening he looked a lot like the star Cleveland hoped it had traded for at the deadline. Harden scored 11 of the team's first 13 points in helping the Cavs to a fast start, then distributed the ball liberally during a huge third-quarter run that propelled Cleveland to a 112-103 win against Detroit in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Rocket Arena. Harden finished with 24 points. Cleveland will travel to Detroit for Game 5 on Wednesday with the series tied at 2 and the home team winning every matchup so far. While teammate Donovan Mitchell ultimately stole the show with 43 points, including tying an NBA playoff record with 39 in the second half, when including assists he and Harden both accounted for 49 points. Mitchell accounted for six more off of two assists and Harden 25 more off 11 assists. Harden also only committed two turnovers and led the team with four steals. "The biggest thing for us is turnovers, taking care of the basketball and getting quality shots," Harden said. "It's definitely sustainable. Just getting a shot off on the rim, whether it's for us or for one of our teammates, earlier in the clock and being efficient for our team. "We did a really good job of that. We have work to do, but I think we found something. We capitalized in Game 3, we were even better tonight and we have to be even better in Game 5 on the road." Harden opened the game with 11 straight points and Cleveland took a 13-5 lead in the first 4:15. He started 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. He and Evan Mobley were the only ones from Cleveland in double figures at halftime — Harden with 15 and Mobley with 11 — as the Cavs trailed 56-52 despite the Pistons committing 10 turnovers to Cleveland's seven. Turnovers plagued the Cavaliers in all of their losses, and even some of their wins, this postseason. But on Monday, Cleveland won the turnover battle decisively, 20-15, with two of the Cavs' turnovers coming in the final minute. "I think we're screening better," coach Kenny Atkinson said. "Screening is important. Spacing, we've figured out some things spacing-wise. I think we're moving off the ball again. … We're doing our work to get into those windows, which you need to do against this team. That's been a huge key." Mitchell only had four points in the first half, but more than made up for it in the second as he finished with 43, including 21 in the third quarter. Harden had nine points and five assists during the third-quarter explosion, but it was the Cleveland defense that really fueled the run as the Cavs held Detroit scoreless for the first 6:03 of the second half. The Cavs forced 11 steals, with Harden leading the way at four. Mobley also was phenomenal defensively with five blocks, three steals and five assists — the first Eastern Conference player since Michael Jordan to achieve at least that stat line. "It's a team game," Harden said, referencing Mitchell. "He's been doing a lot of really good things, especially offensively, this postseason. He isn't going to be perfect. Quarters, halves, games, that's why we have a team to pick him up. "We were down four and he hadn't played well offensively. Second half, he became aggressive. As players who score the basketball, it's quarters, it's halves, that's why you have a team to help you out." Contact Chris Sweeney at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on X.