CLEVELAND -- James Harden, after a pair of lackluster performances, delivered when it mattered most Saturday afternoon.
He hit three clutch shots and scored seven points in the final 90 seconds of the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to propel the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 116-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
After scoring just 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting in a Game 2 loss, Harden stepped up with a performance to silence his critics. He scored nine points in the final period as the Cavaliers held off a charging Pistons squad and cut Detroit's series advantage to 2-1.
"I love it," said Harden, who finished with 19 points, seven assists and only three turnovers. "When my number is called, just getting to my spots. It's something I work on literally every day. It's basically repetition, and it's the confidence to go out there and do it."
The Cavaliers acquired Harden, a 17-year veteran who has been in the postseason every year of his career, at the trade deadline for games such as Saturday -- to help provide a steady hand next to star Donovan Mitchell, who scored 35 points in Game 3.
But Harden struggled through the first two games of the series. He shot 32%, including 1-for-11 on 3-pointers, during two Cavaliers losses in Detroit, and he had committed more turnovers (11) than he made field goals (nine).
However, the Cavaliers continued to express confidence in Harden. Mitchell spoke in defense of his backcourt mate after Game 2, saying he wasn't worried and that Harden would "figure it out." Even though Mitchell led all scorers Saturday, he was comfortable deferring to Harden down the stretch. Together, the Cavaliers' star duo combined to outscore the Pistons 10-5 over the final 1:29.
"Because he's James Harden," Mitchell said Saturday. "I am who I am. He is who he is, but that's what makes us so dynamic. You can choose.
"Having the ultimate trust in him and vice versa, I think, is why those moments happen."
Detroit had come all the way back from down 16 points at halftime to force Cleveland into a clutch situation Saturday. That is where the Pistons had excelled -- winning four games in the clutch this postseason, the most in the NBA -- and the Cavaliers had faltered. Cleveland's four losses in the clutch during the playoffs are the most in the league.
But with Cleveland clinging to a three-point lead with 1:29 remaining, Harden drove and pulled up for a 15-point step-back jumper to extend the lead to five. After Cade Cunningham answered with a dunk, Harden responded, getting to the lane and knocking down a floater. Cunningham, who finished with a 27-point triple-double, continued to put the pressure on Cleveland with a 28-foot pull-up 3-pointer to cut the Cavaliers' lead back to two points.
Harden delivered again with one of his vintage moves, a 25-foot, step-back 3-pointer that extended the advantage to five with 25.9 seconds remaining.
"It's the James Harden I've seen for how many years he's been in the NBA," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. "That's the James we know. We needed it tonight. It was the variety of his repertoire that was impressive."
Harden's production through the first two games had raised questions about his previous playoff shortcomings. Although he has made the playoffs in each of his 17 seasons, he has never won a championship, often ending the season with disappointing postseason performances.
But Harden said after Saturday's game that he took no particular pleasure in answering those critics, and he remained focused on doing whatever it took to help lead the Cavaliers through a deep playoff run.
"I didn't average 30 points in the regular season, you know what I mean? I'm literally here to find my spots, figure out what needs to be done and try to contribute in the best way possible," Harden said. "Chatter is going to be chatter regardless. Whether you do something good, whether you do something bad. For me, still, you give me opportunities in this fourth quarter, and I take advantage of them.
"I've done an unbelievable job throughout the course of my career of just understanding what the job needs to be, especially as I get older, and doing whatever it takes to win the game. That's the most important thing."