The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a 111–101 loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 1 of their second-round series on Tuesday night.
A major factor in the defeat was the turnover battle, as Cleveland committed 20 giveaways compared to Detroit’s 12. Seven of those turnovers came from veteran guard James Harden, who drew criticism from Stephen A. Smith during Wednesday’s episode of “First Take.”
Harden finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, but shot just 6-for-15 from the field and 1-for-7 from three-point range, along with a game-high seven turnovers.
“For somebody as great as James Harden, that is just inexcusable. It is inexplicable. There is no way around it,” Smith said.
Much of Harden’s scoring came in the fourth quarter, where he tallied 13 of his 22 points.
Still, he wasn’t the only concern for Cleveland. Jarrett Allen played just 18 minutes, finishing with two points and three rebounds after posting 22 points and 19 rebounds in Game 7 against the Toronto Raptors.
Donovan Mitchell also remained relatively quiet by his standards, scoring 23 points on 9-for-19 shooting. It marked his sixth straight game under 25 points despite being the team’s leading scorer during the regular season.
Overall, the Cavaliers have yet to find consistent rhythm in the postseason, an issue that has emerged in part since acquiring Harden at midseason. The team continues adjusting to a backcourt built around two ball-dominant guards while also trying to involve its front court of Allen and Evan Mobley.
If Harden is going to remain the starting point guard following his acquisition for Darius Garland, much of Cleveland’s offensive flow will ultimately rest on his shoulders — and right now, the Cavaliers are still searching for consistency on that end of the floor.