Game Night Observations: James Harden's Third Quarter Takeover and Important Role Players
The Cavs took care of business.
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers put forth a professional effort on Monday night against an undermanned version of the Philadelphia 76ers. Cleveland’s 115-101 victory was relatively stress-free, which is exactly what the team needed.
This game isn’t going to be remembered as one of the more impressive games the Cavs played this season. It’s far from it. Monday night is the definition of “just another game” or “one of 82” for a Cavs team that has much more at stake in the coming weeks and months than just Monday night.
Taking down a Sixers team that was without several key players, including Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, was the bare minimum for the Cavs. Not waiting until late in a much-closer-than-needed game to turn up the intensity was a maturity test that the team passed, not that credit is necessarily deserved for doing so1.
There wasn’t much to learn about the Cavs as a group in this game. Taking care of business is what mattered, and that Cavs did just that.
Here are three things I think are important from Monday night:
James Harden’s Third Quarter Takeover
