James Harden suffered a fractured right thumb Tuesday night, and the Cleveland Cavaliers now face real uncertainty ahead of a critical matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Cavaliers announced Wednesday that Harden sustained a non-displaced fracture of the distal phalanx in his right thumb during Cleveland's 109-94 win over the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena. Postgame examinations and X-rays confirmed the injury. He will undergo further treatment and evaluation and is officially listed as questionable for Wednesday night's road game in Milwaukee.
What Harden's Injury Means for Cleveland
Harden played 32 minutes against New York and scored 20 points in what felt like a statement victory. The Cavaliers improved to 37-22 and moved into a tie with the Knicks for third place in the Eastern Conference, though New York holds the tiebreaker. Since acquiring Harden before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, Cleveland has gone 6-1 and stabilized its playoff positioning as the No. 4 seed.
The timing of this injury complicates matters. Harden’s fellow backcourt mate Donovan Mitchell (right groin strain) will not play Wednesday, and Evan Mobley is being held out for rest. If Harden cannot suit up, Cleveland will likely lean more heavily on Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis and Craig Porter in the backcourt. That would test the Cavs' depth against a Milwaukee team fighting for seeding of its own.
Through seven games with Cleveland, Harden has averaged 18.9 points, 8 assists and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 49 percent from the field and 48 percent from three. His early pick-and-roll chemistry with Jarrett Allen has stood out, and his ability to control tempo has eased the burden on Mitchell.
Allen is on a four-game double-double streak and sparked a renaissance of his 2022 All-Star season with how he has played in February. Cleveland now will need to lean on that momentum to carry them past the Bucks.
Renewed Confidence Now on Hold?
Prior to the NBA trade deadline, the Cavaliers were facing overarching questions about the fit of their All-Star backcourt, the long-term future of Jarrett Allen and even concerns about Evan Mobley’s lack of development. But as one of the only contenders to make drastic changes to their roster at the deadline, Cleveland’s on-court production flipped a switch and put them at back the forefront of the Eastern Conference contender conversation. Head coach Kenny Atkinson recently credited Harden with shifting the team's mindset.
"Listen, bringing James on has given us a renewed confidence, if that makes sense. We understand we’re a better team," Atkinson said after Tuesday's win.
"That spirit, that confidence for some strange reason, it makes you play harder, and compete harder, and compete harder defensively. And I felt that we were missing that edge, that belief, so I feel like we're regaining that. And again, a lot of that has to do with who we added."
That belief now faces its first real test. A non-displaced fracture leaves room for cautious optimism, but thumb injuries can linger, especially for a primary ball-handler. Cleveland's surge since the trade deadline has been fueled in part by Harden's presence. Whether that momentum continues may hinge on how quickly he can return and how effectively he can manage the pain once he does.
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