Cavs' James Harden plays hero, then shares 16-year full-circle moment

It's only been two games, but James Harden has twice proven already how important he can be for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavs needed some late magic to rally past the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Harden provided it, drilling a stepback 3-pointer to tie the game at 117-apiece before two Donovan Mitchell free throws won it.

Harden scored six points and dished out four assists in the fourth quarter to get off to a 2-0 start with the Cavaliers.

He finished the game with 22 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.

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Clearly, Harden adds a different dimension. He hardly knows his teammates, yet he has such control of the game that by the fourth quarter two contests in a row, he finds a way to take over and control the whole proceeding.

It'll be tough to count out a Cavs team with Harden and Mitchell no matter the circumstance, because they both have such potent game-closing abilities.

Harden also has a cool full-circle part of this journey.

He himself shared a tweet from 16 years ago after Monday night's game. He posted it alongside a photo of himself in a Cavs uniform, using the same caption.

Airplane mode to Cleveland..hit yall when I land.. #Uno pic.twitter.com/RpaITyNOqc

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Clearly, that past post wasn't specifically about a trade to the Cavs. Still, it's pretty fun.

The Cavs' road trip is over, with a 4-1 record and two trades completed while they were away from home.

Now back to Cleveland to show off their new look in front of the home fans before the All-Star Break.

It certainly is the look of a team that can win in any scenario, thanks in large part to the addition of Harden.

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