The Los Angeles Clippers managed to secure their first victory after acquiring James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers. While the move struggled to bear fruit with five consecutive losses, last night, the Clippers broke the losing streak against the Rockets.
Towards the end of the game, with the score tied at 100-100 and less than 10 seconds remaining, Kawhi Leonard passed the ball to James Harden, who made a three-point shot plus a foul, giving them a 4-point lead. They used this advantage to their favor, ultimately winning the game 106-100.
After Harden hit the crucial shot, Kawhi Leonard came rushing down the court to pick him up and showed his emotions, a rare feat for Leonard. That goes to show how important the game was for the Clippers’ squad last night.
Look at how hyped Kawhi is https://t.co/PU2vFerLrt
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) November 18, 2023
Kawhi Leonard was one of the standout players in last night’s game, leading the Clippers in scoring with 26 points, adding 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 steals. He was followed by James Harden, who delivered his best performance with the team so far, scoring 24 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, and providing 7 assists, along with an efficient 8-of-11 shooting from the field in the game.
Even better for the Clippers, Paul George also had it going in Friday night against Houston. George was the third leading scorer for the team last night, and despite a bad shooting game, he impacted the game in all areas with a solid performance of 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists.
The Clippers Might Have Found A Solution
In last night’s game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets, Russell Westbrook provided a solution to coach Tyronn Lue that could be the key for the Western Conference superteam to start looking like a contender. By his own request, Westbrook came off the bench to give Harden more opportunities in the starting lineup.
Undoubtedly, against a Rockets team that appears to be a playoff contender this season, the move paid off. Not only did the Clippers win the game, but Harden had a great individual night with the starters, and Westbrook contributed 8 points in 17 minutes played.
The Clippers have significant challenges to address in the future, but securing this victory against a team positioned high in the Western Conference could be a turning point in the season, in addition to achieving a standout performance from James Harden individually.
Right now, even if the record of 1-5 is not on Harden’s side, there’s little doubt about his good efficiency since joining the Clippers squad. Although a very low scoring output for a player who won 3 scoring titles in his career, Haden is currently averaging 16.5 points per game, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists whilst shooting great from the field with 51.6 FG% and 38.7% from deep range.
