James Harden bounces back with fourth-quarter heroics in Cavaliers' Game 3 win: 'What chatter?'

It all came down to James Harden on Saturday. That finally turned out to be a good thing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The most criticized player of the series wound up being the hero of Game 3, scoring 7 points across three consecutive possessions to keep his team ahead in a 116-109 win over the Detroit Pistons. That included the dagger with 26 seconds left, shot in the face of Tobias Harris.

Harden entered the game with the criticism of his postseason resume as loud as it’s ever been. Through two games against Detroit, he had posted more turnovers (11) than field goals (9) or assists (10). His miss in the final minute of Game 2 sealed the game for the Pistons.

It was an easy thing to joke about — the Cavaliers trading for Harden then being surprised he isn’t performing in the playoffs — and people did. A lot.

However, when asked by NBC’s Ashley ShahAhmadi about silencing the chatter, Harden had the answer you would hope to hear if you’re Cleveland: “What chatter?”

He went on: