James Harden 15 points on 5-of-16 vs Knicks (May 19, 2026)
15 PTS · 5-of-16 FG · 1-of-8 3P · 4-of-6 FT · 42:06 MIN
Usual: 2025-26 regular season, 70 games, Oct 22 – Apr 10 (23.6 PTS · 16.0 FGA · 34.8 MIN)
Game Score 2.4 against a usual 19.2 (-16.8)
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 worksWhy did James Harden score 15 points?
James Harden scored 15 points in 42:06 against the Knicks on May 19, 2026, Game 1 of the conference finals: 5-of-16 from the field (31.3%), 1-of-8 from three (12.5%), 4-of-6 on free throws (66.7%). Coming in, Harden had averaged 23.6 points on 16.0 shots in 34.8 minutes, from 70 regular-season games. The rate from the field was 31.3%, against a usual 43.4%. Points by shot type, against the usual: threes 3 (9.2), free throws 4 (6.6). Minutes: 42:06, against a usual 34.8; Game Score per 36 minutes: 2.1, against a usual 19.8. Turnovers and fouls: 6 and 5, against a usual 3.5 and 2.0. The Cavaliers lost 115-104 at the Knicks. 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 | 42:06 | 34.8 | +7.3 |
| Points | 15 | 23.6 | -8.6 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 16 · 31.3% | 16.0 · 43.4% | 0.0 · -12.1 |
| 3PA · 3P% | 8 · 12.5% | 8.2 · 37.5% | -0.2 · -25.0 |
| FTA · FT% | 6 · 66.7% | 7.5 · 88.4% | -1.5 · -21.7 |
| Rebounds | 4 | 4.8 | -0.8 |
| Assists | 3 | 8.0 | -5.0 |
| Turnovers | 6 | 3.5 | +2.5 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 70 games | 26.1 | 29.2 | -3.1 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 2.1 | 19.8 | -17.7 |
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 | 3 (1-of-8) | 9.2 (3.1-of-8.2) | -6.2 |
| Twos | 8 (4-of-8) | 7.8 (3.9-of-7.8) | +0.2 |
| Free throws | 4 (4-of-6) | 6.6 (6.6-of-7.5) | -2.6 |
| Total | 15 | 23.6 | -8.6 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
2.4 against a usual 19.2 (-16.8)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | -9.8 |
| Rebounds | -0.1 |
| Assists | -3.5 |
| Steals and blocks | +0.3 |
| Turnovers and fouls | -3.7 |
| Total | -16.8 |
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, 2026 | Conference semifinals · Game 7 | @ DET | 35:54 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 4.7 |
| May 19, 2026This game | Conference finals · Game 1 | @ NYK | 42:06 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 2.4 |
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Cavaliers lost 115-104 at the Knicks.
- Previous appearance: May 17, 2026, 2 days earlier.
- No earlier games in this series.
- 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.