Cavaliers Face Toughest Test of James Harden Era vs. Thunder

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up their seventh straight win as they downed the Hornets 118-113 in a nervy game in Charlotte.

The Cavaliers have touched down in Oklahoma City as they look to pick up their eighth straight win later this afternoon. Donovan Mitchell continued his incredible production as he logged 32 points in a win that put away a Hornets team that had was 10-3 in their last 13 games.

With the win, the Cavaliers moved to 36-21 overall, while increasing their record on the road to 17-10. The Cavaliers still hold the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and are one game behind the Celtics for the No. 2 seed. While the No. 1 seeded Pistons may be too tough to overtake, there’s no reason if Cleveland continues putting winning streaks together they cant end the season right behind them at No. 2

James Harden Continues to Impress in Winning Streak

Cleveland Cavaliers James Harden Kenny Atkinson Donovan Mitchell Jarrett Allen NBA Playoffs — Feb 19, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets guard Terance Mann (14) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Perhaps the most exciting takeaway from the Cavaliers win over the Hornets was the production by James Harden.

There were questions from those in the media about how Harden would work in the Cavaliers offense and if he would disrupt it, and Harden has quelled those worries with his production each night. Harden was able to log 18 points on 2-3 shooting from beyond the arc. Harden was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line and dished out eight assists in the win.

Jarrett Allen a Towering Force in win Over Charlotte

Harden had positive things to say about center Jarrett Allen this past week, and Allen continues to prove him right. Allen recorded 26 points and reeled in 14 rebounds as he provided a towering presence in the paint in the win.

The Cavs in all honesty should have put this game to bed early as they built up a ten point lead at the end of the first quarter, but the Hornets were able to show some resilience and responded by outscoring the Cavaliers in the second and third quarter. Cleveland responded with a 28-24 fourth quarter to seal the five point win.

The Hornets out-rebounded the Cavaliers 45-39, but the Cavs were able to force the Hornets in to bad shots, as they held Charlotte to 39 percent shooting from the floor while shooting 53 percent themselves

The Cavaliers will now face off against the Thunder at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. The Thunder come into the matchup with a 43-14 record, while being 23-6 at home.