James Harden Injury Update – 7:05 p.m. ET – Harden has been ruled out with his fractured right thumb, according to the latest injury report from the Cavs. The Cavaliers will be without Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley tonight — three starters — vs. the Bucks, who are also with F Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without their veteran playmaker James Harden in tonight's Eastern Conference game vs. the Bucks.
The 36-year-old guard and recent trade piece suffered a right thumb fracture during Tuesday's home win over the New York Knicks. The Cavs will look to keep their winning momentum alive vs. the Bucks tonight without SG Donovan Mitchell, PF Evan Mobley, and now, Harden.
Let’s dive into the latest James Harden injury update and how it could impact PrizePicks NBA picks and player projections for Wednesday's Cavaliers vs. Bucks showdown at 8:00 p.m. ET.
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James Harden Injury Update: Is Harden Playing Tonight vs. Bucks?
Although an x-rays confirmed that James Harden fractured his thumb in Tuesday's win, Harden will not undergo surgery and plans to play through the injury.
"There's going to be a lot of managing of the pain through treatment over the next few days," ESPN's Shams Charania said on NBA Today. "He might sit tonight in Milwaukee to let that thumb calm down."
Harden is officially listed as questionable tonight, and his status is still up in the air. As the Cavs are on a back-to-back, traveling from Cleveland to Milwaukee for today's game, it wouldn't be shocking to see Harden sit out.
The good news? Harden is left-handed, meaning this should affect his shooting much, but may have an impact on his ball handling more than anything, which has been a highlight for the Cavs.
Although he's expected to be good to play in the long term, check for updates closer to the 8 p.m. ET tip for the latest on Harden's injury status.
In seven games since joining Cleveland via trade, Harden has been nothing short of a seamless fit alongside PG Donovan Mitchell. He's averaging 18.9 points, 8.0 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game, and he's elevated this Cavaliers roster to a 6-1 record in that span, putting them among the best in the East once again.
Harden's ability to handle, pass, and shoot with that injured right thumb will be the key factor in any final decision on his injury status.
As of the publishing of this article, the Cavaliers return a 1.56x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks to win tonight's matchup vs. the Bucks.
James Harden Injury Impact: Which Cavaliers Players to Target?
Should Harden sit out Wednesday’s game against the Bucks, players like PG Dennis Schroder, SG Craig Porter Jr., and F Jaylon Tyson all seem like sensible options to see an increase in workload tonight vs. the Bucks.
With the Cavaliers already shorthanded, with SG Donovan Mitchell (groin) and PF Evan Mobley (calf) ruled out, it might be C Jarrett Allen who stands to benefit the most from the recent injuries to the starting lineup.
Allen remains one of Cleveland’s most reliable pillars, averaging 14.9 points, 8.6 boards, and 0.9 blocks. He showed his impact on the court in last night's victory in New York — scoring 19 points and adding 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 assist.
When he doesn’t share the floor with Harden (before the trade) and Mitchell, and is forced to operate as the lone big man without Mobley in the lineup, Allen’s usage rate climbs to 21.2% with a 71.8% true shooting percentage, and scoring 1.34 points per possession.
Even if Harden does play, we should see additional shooting usage fall to Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill with Mitchell already ruled out. With Mitchell, Mobley, and Darius Garland off the floor this year, Tyson leads the team in usage at 29%, per NBA Wowy.
If Harden is out, the Cavs projected lineup vs. Bucks is: Dennis Schroder, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, Dean Wade, and Jarrett Allen. Harden would likely slot in for Schroder at point guard if he is good to go.
Jarrett Allen vs. Bucks Projections, Picks
Here are the top Jarrett Allen projections vs. the Bucks tonight, via PrizePicks.
- 18 Points
- 10 Rebounds
- 19.5 Pts + Asts
- 30.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- 28.5 Pts + Rebs
- 12 Rebs + Asts
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Make Cavaliers vs. Bucks Picks on PrizePicks
As tip-off approaches, the Cavaliers will rely heavily on C Jarrett Allen, SG Jaylon Tyson, and their remaining rotation to absorb the load against Milwaukee.
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