March 9, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) looks for a pass while Philadelphia 76ers guard Cameron Payne (20) plays defense in the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images James Harden scored 21 points and fellow trade deadline signing Keion Ellis added 19 to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 115-101 victory over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.
Harden, in his 17th season, reached 29,000 career points in the first quarter and finished the game with 29,017 points, ranking 9th in career scoring. Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain ranked eighth with 31,419 points.
The Cavaliers earned their eighth win in nine home games, a day after losing 109-98 to the Boston Celtics. They are 23-9 since December 29 and have moved up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Donovan Mitchell had 17 points and six assists for Cleveland, which has won all four games with 25 points against the 76ers, who have come up short this season. Evan Mobley had 15 points and Dean Wade had 13 points and 10 assists.
Quentin Grimes had 17 points off the bench for the 76ers and Justin Edwards had 14. Cameron Payne, who started in place of All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey (sprained right finger), recorded 12 points and 6 rebounds.
Philadelphia’s top four scorers were inactive: Maxey (right finger sprain), center Joel Embiid (right oblique sprain), forward Paul George (league suspension) and guard VJ Edgecombe (lumbar contusion).
Maxey, who leads the league in scoring with 1,767 points, will miss at least one more game after an X-ray and MRI revealed no broken bones in his hand. Coach Nick Nurse said he would visit a specialist later this week.
Ellis, Mitchell, and Harden combined for 39 points in the first half, giving Cleveland a 17-point lead before taking a 56-44 lead. Ellis and Grimes matched each other with 14 points, while Payne had nine points and five rebounds.
The Cavaliers took a 19-18 lead on an Ellis 3-pointer with 2:27 left in the first quarter and never looked back.
Cleveland led 86-66 after three quarters.
Mitchell (9-of-9) and Harden (6-of-6) made all 15 of their free throw attempts as Cleveland sank 23 of 25 overall (92%). Ellis led the charge from behind the arc, knocking down 4 of 7 shots.
Cleveland center Jarrett Allen (right knee tendonitis) and rookie guard Tyrese Proctor (right quadriceps strain) both missed their second straight game.
–Field level media
