Viral James Harden clip sums up Cavs’ woes in blowout vs. Hornets

Viral James Harden clip sums up Cavs’ woes in blowout vs. Hornets appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here . James Harden has not even been close to being at his best to start the 2026-27 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers . Entering play on Monday against the Charlotte Hornets, Harden’s been averaging just 15.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game on 37/36/84 shooting splits — failing to be the impactful superstar floor general he’s been for the past 14 years or so. The Cavs’ loss to the Hornets has to be a wake-up call for this veteran team that has championship aspirations. In particular, Harden has to be better. Their 124-112 loss to Charlotte does not fall solely on the 37-year-old guard’s shoulders. But he did not help matters whatsoever with his lethargic play. One play from Harden, in particular, went viral on social media showcasing his lack of effort both on the glass and on the defensive end. After Grayson Allen missed a three, Harden went up for a board and got outjumped by Hornets big man Ryan Kalkbrenner — an understandable defeat on the glass. But Harden did not close out on his man after Kalkbrenner kicked the ball out to a wide-open Sion James from three. Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial) James would miss the three, but Harden just stood by and watched as Allen crashed the glass. The Cavs star would then undercut Allen, leading to a foul called on the 37-year-old. Harden, as one of the veteran leaders of this Cavs team, simply cannot be caught napping like this even in a regular season tilt against a Hornets team that’s been struggling to start the 2026-27 season. As one could see, the Cavs were already down by 16 points in the third quarter of Monday’s contest, and yet Harden’s lack of effort was in full display. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the game that the Hornets simply gave more effort and played with more energy. This viral Harden clip is the perfect encapsulation of what went wrong for Cleveland in a 12-point loss that wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate. Related: Kenny Atkinson gets real about Cavs in embarrassing loss to Hornets Related: DeMarcus Cousins throws major shade at Cavs’ James Harden