James Harden 9 points on 2-of-10 vs Pistons (May 17, 2026)
9 PTS · 2-of-10 FG · 0-of-6 3P · 5-of-8 FT · 35:54 MIN
Usual: 2025-26 regular season, 70 games, Oct 22 – Apr 10 (23.6 PTS · 16.0 FGA · 34.8 MIN)
Game Score 4.7 against a usual 19.2 (-14.5)
below usual
Playoff game · against the 2025-26 regular season
No more than 5 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 worksWhy did James Harden score 9 points?
James Harden scored 9 points in 35:54 against the Pistons on May 17, 2026, Game 7 of the conference semifinals: 2-of-10 from the field (20.0%), 0-of-6 from three (0.0%), 5-of-8 on free throws (62.5%). Before this game, Harden averaged 23.6 points on 16.0 shots in 34.8 minutes across 70 regular-season games. The shot count was 10, against a usual 16.0. Harden shot 20.0% from the field, against a usual 43.4%. Points by shot type, against the usual: threes 0 (9.2), two-pointers 4 (7.8), free throws 5 (6.6). Playing time was 35:54, against a usual 34.8 minutes; per 36 minutes, the Game Score was 4.7, against a usual 19.8. The Cavaliers won 125-94 at the Pistons, a 31-point win. 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
What changed
Harden in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (70 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 35:54 | 34.8 | +1.1 |
| Points | 9 | 23.6 | -14.6 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 10 · 20.0% | 16.0 · 43.4% | -6.0 · -23.4 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 6 · 0.0% | 8.2 · 37.5% | -2.2 · -37.5 |
| FTA · FT% | 8 · 62.5% | 7.5 · 88.4% | +0.5 · -25.9 |
| Rebounds | 5 | 4.8 | +0.2 |
| Assists | 6 | 8.0 | -2.0 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 70 games | 16.8 | 29.2 | -12.4 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 4.7 | 19.8 | -15.1 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (70 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threes | 0 (0-of-6) | 9.2 (3.1-of-8.2) | -9.2 |
| Twos | 4 (2-of-4) | 7.8 (3.9-of-7.8) | -3.8 |
| Free throws | 5 (5-of-8) | 6.6 (6.6-of-7.5) | -1.6 |
| Total | 9 | 23.6 | -14.6 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
4.7 against a usual 19.2 (-14.5)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | -13.2 |
| Rebounds | -0.2 |
| Assists | -1.4 |
| Steals and blocks | -1.4 |
| Turnovers and fouls | +1.7 |
| Total | -14.5 |
This postseason so far
Playoff games in date order, this game last; no score
| Date | Round | Opp | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 2026 | First round · Game 1 | vs TOR | 33:12 | 22 | 2 | 10 | 17.4 |
| Apr 20, 2026 | First round · Game 2 | vs TOR | 34:54 | 28 | 5 | 4 | 24.8 |
| Apr 23, 2026 | First round · Game 3 | @ TOR | 33:06 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 5.7 |
| Apr 26, 2026 | First round · Game 4 | @ TOR | 37:12 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 10.9 |
| Apr 29, 2026 | First round · Game 5 | vs TOR | 39:48 | 23 | 9 | 5 | 18.8 |
| May 1, 2026 | First round · Game 6 | @ TOR | 44:00 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 17.1 |
| May 3, 2026 | First round · Game 7 | vs TOR | 36:36 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 15.8 |
| May 5, 2026 | Conference semifinals · Game 1 | @ DET | 35:00 | 22 | 8 | 7 | 16.2 |
| May 7, 2026 | Conference semifinals · Game 2 | @ DET | 36:54 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1.8 |
| May 9, 2026 | Conference semifinals · Game 3 | vs DET | 39:48 | 19 | 2 | 7 | 15.5 |
| May 11, 2026 | Conference semifinals · Game 4 | vs DET | 37:24 | 24 | 0 | 11 | 25.6 |
| May 13, 2026 | Conference semifinals · Game 5 | @ DET | 43:06 | 30 | 8 | 6 | 20.2 |
| May 15, 2026 | Conference semifinals · Game 6 | vs DET | 37:18 | 23 | 7 | 4 | 15.2 |
| May 17, 2026This game | Conference semifinals · Game 7 | @ DET | 35:54 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 4.7 |
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Cavaliers won 125-94 at the Pistons, a 31-point win.
- Previous appearance: May 15, 2026, 2 days earlier.
- Earlier in this series: 22 points (Game 1), 10 points (Game 2), 19 points (Game 3), 24 points (Game 4), 30 points (Game 5), 23 points (Game 6).
- 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.
What this page cannot tell you
The same on every performance page
Box scores record what happened, not why: no injuries or health, defensive assignments, matchups, coaching decisions or play-by-play.
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.