James Harden collected 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists after missing two games with a fractured right thumb as the Cleveland Cavaliers hung on in the final seconds for a 106-102 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday in New York.
Harden was listed as questionable after sitting out losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons, but he played 36 minutes while nearly getting his first triple-double with Cleveland.
Former Net Jarrett Allen added 20 and Evan Mobley contributed 17 as the Cavs survived their third straight game without Donovan Mitchell (strained groin). Sam Merrill contributed 15 and Dennis Schroder chipped in 12 as Cleveland shot 48.6% and hit 25 free throws, nine in the fourth quarter.
Michael Porter Jr. led all scorers with 26 and helped the Nets nearly erase a nine-point deficit in the final minutes. Rookie Danny Wolf added a career-best 23 and nine rebounds while first-year guard Nolan Traore contributed 17.
The Nets lost their eighth straight game and were significantly more competitive than Friday’s 148-111 loss in Boston. Brooklyn shot 50.7% and never trailed by more than 11 before its comeback try fell short.
Brooklyn rested rookie Egor Demin and held out Nic Claxton (thumb) in its latest loss to Cleveland.
The Cavaliers bounced back from blowing a 13-point lead Friday in Detroit, though they nearly lost another late cushion.
Cleveland held a 98-89 lead on a basket by Mobley with 3:15 left but let the lead slip to 102-101 with 9.2 seconds left. The Cavs finally secured their seventh straight win over the Nets when Mobley split a pair at the line with 3.7 seconds left for the final margin.
After shooting 70.6% in the opening quarter, Cleveland was 4-of-18 in the second and the Nets took a 52-46 lead at halftime. The Cavs held a 70-64 lead on Harden’s four-point play with 4:40 left in the third but they trailed the Nets 75-74 going into the fourth.
