NightlyHoops
JH
NBA · CLE

James Harden

G · 6′4″ · Current team: Cleveland Cavaliers

Playoffs · Conference semifinals · Game 2 · May 7, 2026 · CLE 97 @ DET 107 · Final

James Harden 10 points on 3-of-13 vs Pistons (May 7, 2026)

ANSWER

10 PTS · 3-of-13 FG · 0-of-4 3P · 4-of-4 FT · 36:54 MIN

Usual: 2025-26 regular season, 70 games, Oct 22 – Apr 10 (23.6 PTS · 16.0 FGA · 34.8 MIN)

Game Score 1.8 against a usual 19.2 (-17.4)

SURPRISE SCORE
98Rare
below usual

Playoff game · against the 2025-26 regular season

No more than 2 in 100 games by players at this level finish this far below their usual: playoff games, each against the player's regular-season usual.

How the score works

Why did James Harden score 10 points?

In Game 2 of the conference semifinals against the Pistons on May 7, 2026, James Harden scored 10 points in 36:54: 3-of-13 from the field (23.1%), 0-of-4 from three, 4-of-4 on free throws. Coming in, Harden had averaged 23.6 points on 16.0 shots in 34.8 minutes, from 70 regular-season games. The shot count was 13, against a usual 16.0. The rate from the field was 23.1%, against a usual 43.4%. From threes, 0 points against a usual 9.2; from free throws, 4 points against a usual 6.6; from two-pointers, 6 points against a usual 7.8. Minutes: 36:54, against a usual 34.8; Game Score per 36 minutes: 1.8, against a usual 19.8. Assists: 3, against a usual 8.0. The Cavaliers lost 107-97 at the Pistons. The box score records what changed, not why: it holds no injury, matchup or coaching information.

Generated from the box score and this season's game log. How the score works

01

What changed

Harden in this game against the usual line

This game against the usual line
StatThis gameUsual (70 games)Change
Minutes36:5434.8+2.1
Points1023.6-13.6
Shots (FGA) · FG%13 · 23.1%16.0 · 43.4%-3.0 · -20.3
3PA · 3P%0-of-48.2 · 37.5%-4.2
FTA · FT%4-of-47.5 · 88.4%-3.5
Rebounds64.8+1.2
Assists38.0-5.0
Turnovers43.5+0.5
UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 70 games23.529.2-5.7
Game Score per 36 minutes1.819.8-18.0
02

Points by shot type

Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change

Points by shot type against the usual line
Shot typeThis gameUsual (70 games)Change
Threes0 (0-of-4)9.2 (3.1-of-8.2)-9.2
Twos6 (3-of-9)7.8 (3.9-of-7.8)-1.8
Free throws4 (4-of-4)6.6 (6.6-of-7.5)-2.6
Total1023.6-13.6
03

Game Score

One measure of the whole box score line

1.8 against a usual 19.2 (-17.4)

Its five parts
The change in Game Score, by part
PartChange
Scoring, net of shot attempts-12.7
Rebounds+0.1
Assists-3.5
Steals and blocks-0.4
Turnovers and fouls-0.9
Total-17.4
04

This postseason so far

Playoff games in date order, this game last; no score

This postseason's games, oldest first, this game last
DateRoundOppMINPTSREBASTGame Score
Apr 18, 2026First round · Game 1vs TOR33:122221017.4
Apr 20, 2026First round · Game 2vs TOR34:54285424.8
Apr 23, 2026First round · Game 3@ TOR33:0618445.7
Apr 26, 2026First round · Game 4@ TOR37:12192810.9
Apr 29, 2026First round · Game 5vs TOR39:48239518.8
May 1, 2026First round · Game 6@ TOR44:00169917.1
May 3, 2026First round · Game 7vs TOR36:36186315.8
May 5, 2026Conference semifinals · Game 1@ DET35:00228716.2
May 7, 2026This gameConference semifinals · Game 2@ DET36:5410631.8
05

Context

From the rows this page already reads

  • The Cavaliers lost 107-97 at the Pistons.
  • Previous appearance: May 5, 2026, 2 days earlier.
  • Earlier in this series: 22 points (Game 1).
  • The source holds fewer Cavaliers regular-season games than the 2025-26 regular season had, so the usual line counts only the games it holds.
06

What this page cannot tell you

The same on every performance page

Limits

Box scores record what happened, not why: no injuries or health, defensive assignments, matchups, coaching decisions or play-by-play.

METHOD

Game Score against the player's own regular-season usual line, never blended with last season. How rare a gap is comes from NBA playoff games of 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26, each postseason checked on a table fit on the others; the top tier is Rare.