Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson: James Harden ‘settles everybody down’

CLEVELAND — Everything about the Cavaliers right now feels settled. Purposeful. Under control.

That’s not an accident.

The Cavs (37-22) have won 13 of their past 15 games, and after Tuesday’s 109-94 dismantling of the Knicks, coach Kenny Atkinson made it clear what’s changed since the arrival of James Harden.

“His composure, calmness,” Atkinson said. “He’s just got a command of the game. That settles everybody down. It’s huge. He knows where the ball’s got to go. He knows the end-of-game stuff. Sharp, sharp player.”

Atkinson nearly coached Harden with the Nets before the guard was abruptly moved out by management. Now, he finally gets the chance, and the early returns have been exactly what Cleveland needed.

Harden finished with 20 points Tuesday, but the impact went well beyond the box score. The Cavs ran their offense with patience, confidence, and clarity, even as the Knicks tried to get physical. When New York pushed, the Cavs didn’t rush. When the game tightened briefly, it didn’t wobble.

That calm showed up most clearly after halftime.

The Cavs’ third-quarter defense crushed any hope of a Knicks comeback, holding New York to just 11 points and forcing them into a brutal 3-of-24 shooting stretch. The Cavs didn’t need a scoring avalanche to pull away. They just needed to keep executing.

New York understood the challenge of defending Harden and Donovan Mitchell, arguably the league’s toughest offensive backcourt. But that wasn’t what decided the night.

“Ugly game,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.

For the Cavs, ugly was just fine.

With Harden steadying the offense and Atkinson preaching patience, the Cavs are finding ways to win that don’t rely on highlight plays or perfect shooting nights. They’re winning with control.

And when it really counts, that’s usually the part that matters most.