It's only been three games, but the James Harden era in Cleveland is looking pretty good.
Wednesday night, the Cavaliers returned home for the first time since January 29th and handily took care of business against the visiting Washington Wizards , 138-113. It also marked the home debut for the Beard and the rest of the newly-acquired Cavaliers , Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis .
Harden , of course, came over from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Darius Garland , while Schroder and Ellis came over from the Kings in exchange for DeAndre Hunter.
And on a night where the Cavaliers faithful at the Rocket Arena sported fake facial hair to welcome their heavily bearded and highly decorated new point guard, Harden willingly played his role and deferred, as another hot-shooting Cavalier took the spotlight.
James finished with just 13 points, but added 11 assists, a handful of them to Cavaliers sharpshooter Sam Merril, who was on a heater and finished with a career-high 32 points on nine of ten from beyond the arc. Donovan Mitchell , who's on his way to a seventh All-Star appearance, added 30 points of his own, while big man Jarrett Allen , who has seemingly thrived since Harden's arrival, put up 21 points and grabbed nine boards.
Apart from Merrill's career night and another 30-piece from Mitchell, what stood out from the box scores was that Harden, one of the most prolific offensive engines in league history, only took four shots but still came away on the right side of a blowout victory. If you've followed his career over the last two seasons, the Beard taking just four shots hasn't usually ended in wins.
During postgame media availability, Harden was asked whether he remembered the last time he took only four shots.
"Nope, it don't even matter," Harden replied with a laugh. "It feels good, it don't even matter, like I don't care."
Since coming to the Land, Harden has helped the Cavaliers go 3-0, which includes clutch performances in back-to-back come-from-behind wins against the Sacramento Kings and the Denver Nuggets . What's most impressive is that he's done all of this without having practiced with the team yet, and he's still feeling things out and finding his way into the team's system.
"Definitely vibes, definitely good energy, definitely communicating and just talking about the things that's important. I told them, I'll figure it out. We'll do some adjusting with each other, but for the most part, y'all play what y'all and do what y'all been doing, and I'll find my way in, and they've been doing that," Harden added.
While James was once an undeniable offensive force and a bona fide go-to guy, he has since transitioned into a more facilitator role and willingly taken a back seat on offense. Against the Wizards, that was on full display as Harden looked more than content feeding the hot hands in Merril, Mitchell , and Allen, especially if it means getting the win.
"Even tonight, I shoot four shots, but we win by 25 points, that's the most important thing," Harden maintained. "Sam gets it going, and I'm just here to win, so whatever that looks like, if I gotta go score a lot of points or I gotta just take four shots and we win, that' just the most important thing for me, and tonight was one of those examples."
While Ohio die-hards were initially against the Harden-for-Garland swap, mainly because DG had become beloved by the fanbase, it took only three games for the fans to warm up to the 11-time All-Star and former league MVP.
Once Harden fully integrates into the Cavaliers' system, and they get the likes of Evan Mobley and Dean Wade back, they'll be a legitimate top contender in the wide-open Eastern Conference.
Heading into the All-Star break, the Cavaliers have won five straight and 10 of their last 11. They're currently at 34-21, just a game-and-a-half back from the second seed. If the retooled Cavs can come out of the All-Star break in sync and in full strength, they're going to be favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
