The Cleveland Cavaliers secured their first win against the Detroit Pistons in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday. James Harden came up clutch for the Cavs during the matchup, saving their blushes as his girlfriend, Paige Speights, sent a message of support following his performance.
The media personality was courtside during the game and shared multiple clips of Harden from the sidelines as the guard took over the game in the final quarter. Speights captioned the clips with a four-word message for her partner.
Thanks for the submission!
“Can’t be f*cked with,” Speights captioned the clip.
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In the video, Harden appeared to sink a decisive step-back three as the arena erupted in jubilation.
The former All-Star played a key role in the Cavs’ victory, hitting three crucial shots in the final quarter to cut the Pistons’ lead before Max Strus completed a steal on Cade Cunningham and scored to give Cleveland the lead.
The game ended 116-109 in the Cavs’ favor, with the series now at 2-1 as Cleveland looks to level it in the next game. After struggling to close out games in their previous two outings against Detroit, the Cavaliers will take significant positives from the win.
Harden finished with 19 points, the second-highest tally for the Cavs, behind Donovan Mitchell’s 35-point double-double. With a chance to level the series, Harden will look to carry this momentum as he continues his pursuit of a first NBA title.
James Harden explains clutch mindset and credits fast start in Cavs win
James Harden turned back the clock with a clutch performance in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. The guard knocked down three crucial shots in the final quarter, helping Cleveland erase Detroit’s lead and secure the victory.
During the postgame interview, Harden highlighted his mindset in those moments.
“Get a bucket,” Harden said. “Simple, tie game or one-point game, just get the best available shot.”
The guard also credited the win to his team’s improved offensive start.
“It was a better start offensively,” Harden said on his team’s start. “I think defensively they still had 30 points in the first quarter, so we’ve got to do a better job of starting stronger on that end and maintaining it throughout the entire game. We have really good spurts defensively, but there are times we slip.”
The Cavs will host the Pistons for Game 4 on Monday as they look to level the series.
Edited by Arian Kashyap
