Harden Suffers Nondisplaced Fracture of Right Thumb, Ruled Out for Loss at Milwaukee
James Harden suffered a nondisplaced fracture of his right thumb during Tuesday night’s win over the New York Knicks and was ruled out for Wednesday night’s 118-116 loss at Milwaukee. The timing matters because Cleveland will need to manage Harden’s availability while he undergoes treatment and further evaluation.
Harden's right thumb fracture and X-ray confirmation
The Cavaliers announced Wednesday that Harden sustained a nondisplaced fracture of his right thumb; X-rays performed the same day revealed the injury. He was initially listed as questionable for the trip to Milwaukee but was ruled out for the 118-116 game after the imaging.
Evaluation by a hand specialist and treatment plan
Harden has been evaluated by a hand specialist and will not require surgery, sources told Shams Charania. The team said he will undergo treatment and further evaluation as they monitor the injury.
Coach Kenny Atkinson on uncertainty around the play
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said during his pregame media availability that he is not sure on which play Harden was injured and that it is "a little too early for me to say exactly what the prognostic is. " That uncertainty shaped the team's initial designation of Harden as questionable before the decision to rule him out.
Game details: wrapped thumb, teammates sidelined
Harden’s thumb was wrapped during Wednesday night’s game, a contest in which Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley were also sidelined. Cavaliers teammate Jarrett Allen described what he saw on the court: "I looked at his thumb and it looked like my finger when I broke it. So instantly I knew that something was wrong, " Allen said. "I was waiting to see he was going to play through it or that he was talking about it, but it's just one of those things in this league where people go down, but you have to keep continuing. "
Context for Cleveland and Harden's season numbers
Harden was traded from the LA Clippers to the Cavaliers on Feb. 3. In seven games with Cleveland, the 17-year veteran is averaging 18. 9 points, eight assists and 4. 6 rebounds. Before the trade, he averaged 25. 1 points, 8. 1 assists and 4. 8 rebounds in 44 appearances with the Clippers this season. Cleveland (37-23) has won eight of its past 10 games and sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
The team and Harden have signaled an intention for him to play through the injury: he plans to play through the injury and the club will continue treatment and reassessment. That plan leaves open how the Cavaliers will balance short-term availability against the need for ongoing evaluation; the medical decision to avoid surgery for now implies a preference for conservative management while monitoring recovery timelines.
's Jamal Collier contributed to this report.
