James Harden injury update: Cavaliers guard reportedly plans to play through fractured thumb
Harden sustained the injury in the win over the Knicks on Tuesday
The Cleveland Cavaliers announced that star guard James Harden suffered a fractured right thumb during their 109-94 win over the New York Knicks Tuesday night. Harden played 32 minutes and finished with 20 points, four assists and two rebounds, but a subsequent evaluation of his thumb confirmed the presence of a fracture.
Despite the diagnosis, surgery is not required and Harden isn't expected to miss much time, per ESPN. The expectation is that Harden will wear a wrap or splint on his hand as he attempts to play through the injury. He is listed as questionable against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday in the second night of a back-to-back.
"A postgame examination by the Cavaliers' medical staff, followed by X-rays taken [Wednesday], confirmed a non-displaced fracture of the distal phalanx," the team said. "Harden will undergo treatment and continued evaluation. An update on his status will be provided as appropriate."
It appears Cleveland has avoided disaster with Harden not being immediately ruled out for a significant period of time. The Cavs have gone 6-1 since trading for Harden in early February. He has established immediate chemistry with Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt, giving Cleveland someone who can take offensive pressure off Mitchell in a way Darius Garland couldn't.
Harden is averaging 18.9 points, eight rebounds and 4.6 assists as a member of the Cavs. Before the trade, he averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 44 games for the Los Angeles Clippers this season.
Cleveland (37-22) is tied with the Knicks for third in the East. If Harden has to miss a few games, or if his performance is impacted by the fractured thumb, they could slip in the standings as the Toronto Raptors (34-24) sit just 2.5 games behind them. How much the injury impacts Harden remains to be seen as the Cavaliers try to make a deep playoff run.
