James Harden reaches career milestone in Cavaliers win over Philadelphia

James Harden of the Cleveland Cavaliers has achieved another milestone in his career, adding himself to the 29,000-point club as a ninth member on Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers.

He will now aim for 30,000; his journey towards it starts on Wednesday when the Cavaliers travel to play the Orlando Magic.

Harden played an important role in his team’s 115-101 win over Philadelphia, scoring 21 points, including five assists and five rebounds in 29 minutes.

It was his sixth 20-point game for the Cavaliers. He joined the Cavaliers in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.

After adding James Harden, Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis to the squad in trades, the Cleveland Cavaliers have picked up form, and they are now just a half-game behind the New York Knicks for third place in the Eastern Conference.

"The Cavs gave me an opportunity to go out and showcase my game, so I'm grateful," said Harden, who has 29,017 points in 17 seasons. "It's a testament to the hard work I've put in over the years."

Harden is averaging 19.3 points, 7.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 11 games with the Cavaliers. The team has secured 18 of its previous 24 matches, continuing a hot stretch that began in late December and accelerated when Schroder and Ellis arrived from the Sacramento Kings.

All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell is another one who is contributing effectively. He is scoring at a career-high pace of 28.4 points per game and is chipping in 5.8 assists, chipping in with Harden to form arguably the most dynamic backcourt in the league.

"I love the communication they've shown and I think James said it best," Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. "They're both desperate to win. They got sidetracked a little bit with Donovan being out with the (groin) injury, but I'm pleased so far."