Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reflected on James Harden’s milestone of 29,000 career points after Monday’s 115-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
“The longevity is amazing. It’s a testament to his resiliency. It’s so hard in this league to do it for so long, so consistently,” Atkinson said. “This version we’re seeing of James, you don’t think of him just as a scorer. He’s a complete player, a playmaker, giving us everything we need to win.”
Atkinson highlighted the team’s response after a slow start. “Out of the gate, we struggled back to back, but we did hold their scoring down. Our defense was pretty good,” he explained. He noted some defensive slippage in the fourth quarter but called the performance “professional and mature, with a little slippage here and there.”
Keon Ellis’s offensive growth caught Atkinson’s attention. “We’re still discovering his offensive capabilities. I saw things I haven’t seen yet, like coming off a DHO and shooting the floater,” he said. “When he gets the catch-and-shoot going, that’s huge for us because he’s so good defensively.” He added, “This is going to be a fight to be in the playoff rotation. We’ve got so many good players. He’s making a case, and we’ll continue to evaluate.”
Atkinson discussed lineup flexibility, including smaller lineups with Craig Porter Jr. alongside Evan Mobley. “I think it’s the rebounding. You don’t get destroyed on the boards, and he’s stout enough to give some rim protection. It provides offensive spacing, too,” he said. He also praised the versatility of Dean Wade, Harden, and Evan Mobley in different positions. “We have a lot of ways we can go. Dean at the five gives us bigger guys out there rather than going small.”
Harden’s durability impressed Atkinson. “His body type helps. He’s a strong human being, but his intelligence and efficiency conserve energy. He goes hard at the right time,” he said. He also praised Evan Mobley’s patience in pick-and-roll situations with Harden. “Evan can mix in the pop, and as they get more reps together, I think that could be a really lethal combination.”
Monday’s game featured Harden scoring 21 points to surpass 29,000 for his career, with Keon Ellis adding 19 off the bench. Donovan Mitchell contributed 17 points and six assists, and Evan Mobley finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. Cleveland extended its home winning streak to eight since January 23 and has won 18 of its last 24 games overall.
