In the last five weeks, the Clippers have experienced every conceivable degree of basketball success—from six straight losses to five straight victories. Their durability has been the one constant.
Before Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden had started all 18 games before Harden’s trade, the Clippers’ star depth had not been tested in the five weeks before Harden’s arrival.
Harden’s tight hip problem on Tuesday during a win over Sacramento hammered home the main reason he was recruited to Los Angeles in the first place: to be a superstar insurance policy in case the club isn’t healthy and to raise the game when it is.
Klay Thompson put on an amazing shooting performance in a game that will go down in history for who was playing and who wasn’t, but James Harden’s comeback to form helped the Clippers win. Golden State’s Draymond Green makes his NBA debut after a lengthy suspension. The Clippers had won six straight after defeating Golden State 121-113 two weeks before.
The Clippers (14–10) have won 11 of the last 14 games.
With 21 minutes left, Harden tied his career record with 11 assists. His 28 points and 15 of his 27 assists helped his team score 36 points. He also nailed 11 of 12 free throws and 5 of 6 three-pointers. Harden became one of the 24 players in an exclusive club of players with 25,000 career points on a layup in the third quarter.
After stealing the ball from rookie Warriors centre Trayce Jackson-Davis near the hoop and Jonathan Kuminga at the perimeter, Terance Mann was able to hit a fast-break layup. He was unable to score any points as a result. Halfway through the fourth quarter, Harden looked surrounded by a four-point lead. He denied Brandin Podziemski with a forceful swipe, and the Clippers added a basket to keep their lead intact.
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On his own, Harden could have had a significant impact. On Westbrook’s alley-oop following a backdoor cut, Harden and backup guard Russell Westbrook—who had not played together in four games—were able to play off one another. Chris Paul’s right hand received the ball with one second left in the first half. Russell Westbrook seized it right away and threw it out of bounds.
Usually seen wearing a frown on the court, Westbrook smiled and enthusiastically waved his index finger while addressing the audience in Section 116 at Crypto.com Arena. Westbrook scored nine points off the bench, while Powell scored twenty-one.
rarely utilised backup facility As the big wing, Amir Coffey scored 18 points in 30 minutes to replace the injured George. Kawhi Leonard also had a score of 27.
Even with a 16-point advantage, Thompson kept the Clippers from winning Golden State until the very end. Thanks to his 16 points in the third quarter, Golden State was within six points with 12 minutes to go.
Thompson led Golden State with thirty points, making eight of his twelve three-point attempts. Stephen Curry attempted 17 field goals and 17 points.
Thirty seconds remained. After Coffey missed a corner three-point shot, Leonard dribbled to the paint for an offensive rebound. It was a four-point advantage for the Clippers. He fouled and made both of his free throws. The game’s winning run was carried over.
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