James Harden moves up to 10th in all-time playoff points

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James Harden moves up to 10th in all-time playoff points

Originally posted on Ball Exclusives | By James Parker | Last updated May 15, 2026 10:43 PM ET

As the Cleveland Cavaliers look to close out their second-round series against the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 on Friday, James Harden has made NBA playoff history.

Early in the first quarter, he got Pistons center on an island before utilizing his patented sidestep three, surpassing Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry for the 10th-most points in NBA playoff history.

Playoff James Harden

With this shot he is now 10th all-time in playoff scoring pic.twitter.com/lf656qgbSW

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) May 15, 2026

Congrats to @JHarden13 of the @cavs for moving up to 10th on the all-time playoff SCORING list!

NBA Playoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/Q3MhHxqG27

— NBA (@NBA) May 15, 2026

After passing Curry, Harden is now up to third in career playoff points among active players, trailing only Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

He hasn’t had the most successful career when it comes to postseason victories, but Harden has proven himself as one of the greatest scorers in the history of basketball.

In fact, he’s had some crucial performances for the Cavaliers through the first two round of this postseason run.

He recently became the first Cavs player since James in 2016 to record at least 30 points, five rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a playoff game.

This article first appeared on Ball Exclusives and was syndicated with permission.

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