"We don't love soft tissue injuries, obviously. The feedback I'm getting is that it's not a long-term thing. I know this morning he was struggling a little, just dribbling. I mean, the thing's broken. If you have a hard time dribbling and catching, that's [tough]."
"Harden's injury derails the momentum the Cavs had been building since the trade deadline. Cleveland has gone 6-1 in seven games with Harden in the lineup, and he is averaging 18.9 points and 8.0 assists on 49% shooting with his new squad."
"We've got to get the feedback from James. I mean, there's no tougher guy in the league. No one more available. No one that wants to play more. He did say it was improved from since he did it. It wasn't like, 'Man, it still feels the same.' It was like, 'Man, it's better than it was two days ago.'"
The Cleveland Cavaliers played the Detroit Pistons without several key players including stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, along with guards Keon Ellis and forward Dean Wade. Mitchell missed his second consecutive game with a right groin strain considered day-to-day, with coach Kenny Atkinson expressing confidence it is not a long-term concern. Harden fractured his right thumb Tuesday and wore a protective brace while attempting to practice, experiencing discomfort with dribbling and shooting. Despite Harden's injury, the Cavaliers had built momentum with a 6-1 record in seven games since acquiring him at the trade deadline, averaging 18.9 points and 8.0 assists. Atkinson noted Harden's durability was a key reason for the acquisition and indicated the player plans to play through the injury once he can tolerate the pain.
Read at ESPN.com
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