Clippers' James Harden: Hands out 16 assists Monday
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Harden finished Monday's 102-99 win over the Warriors with 12 points (4-15 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, 16 assists, two blocks and two steals across 41 minutes.
Harden matched his season-high mark in the assists department and now has nine double-doubles, along with one triple-double, as the Clippers' main offensive option. Despite his strong all-around numbers, fantasy managers who are rostering Harden should begin to be concerned with his lack of efficiency. Once one of the best shooters in the league, he's now shooting just 37.5 percent from the floor, including 33.3 percent from deep, since the beginning of November.
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Clippers' James Harden: Impressive stat line Sunday
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Harden racked up 20 points (7-14 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 4-5 FT), six rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks and two steals across 34 minutes during Sunday's 116-105 victory over the Jazz.
Harden continues to struggle with his three-point shot, but other than that, he turned back the clock Sunday and delivered an impressive all-around effort with at least two tallies in each of the five major categories. Harden recorded double-digit assists for the fifth time this season and scored in double digits for the fourth time in his last six outings. During that span, Harden has averaged 20.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.3 steals across 33.7 minutes per game.
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Clippers' James Harden: Scores 21 points Friday
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Harden closed with 21 points (7-14 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one block across 31 minutes during Friday's 125-104 loss to the Rockets.
Harden led the Clippers in scoring Friday, but overall, it was a poor offensive showing from Los Angeles -- no other player surpassed the 15-point mark and no other starter registered more than 13 points. Harden continues to produce as the engine that keeps the Clippers offense going, though. He's averaging 18.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks per game since the beginning of November despite shooting just 37.4 percent from the field.
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Clippers' James Harden: Continues solid stretch of play
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Harden closed Wednesday's 111-103 loss to the Rockets with 19 points (6-15 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 4-5 FT), six rebounds, seven assists and three steals across 31 minutes.
Harden has been playing at a high level this season despite not being the Clippers' go-to option as a scorer, and his numbers have been excellent overall. He's been particularly good for standard formats, as managers who roster him in category-based formats have been suffering a bit with his lack of efficiency. Harden is shooting 35.6 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from three and 85.1 percent from the charity stripe since the beginning of November, but his overall stat line of 18.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in that stretch compensates for the lack of efficiency.
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Clippers' James Harden: Nears triple-double in defeat
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Harden racked up 17 points (5-15 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 11 rebounds and nine assists across 37 minutes during Monday's 134-128 loss to Oklahoma City.
Harden nearly produced a triple-double with a team-high nine assists, though he also led the Clippers with five of their 23 turnovers in the loss. The superstar struggled with efficiency in a night to forget from the field, and he also got into foul trouble in the third quarter, limiting his run in the second half. Harden has stuffed the stat sheet through 11 regular-season appearances, during which he has averaged 20.8 points, 9.0 assists, 8.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks across 35.1 minutes per game. However, he is shooting only 35.9 percent from the field, including 30.7 percent from three-point range.
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Clippers' James Harden: Comes close to triple-double
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Harden closed Saturday's 105-103 victory over the Raptors with 24 points (5-17 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 12-13 FT), 12 rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 34 minutes.
Harden is not the player he once was and doesn't carry teams on his own with a massive usage rate, but he remains one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the league when he's on. His shot wasn't really falling Saturday, and he got 50 percent of his scoring output from the charity stripe, but Harden was dominant on both ends of the court and finished just three assists away from a triple-double. The veteran is averaging 18.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game in five November appearances.
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Clippers' James Harden: Drops 22 in Friday's win
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Harden ended with 22 points (5-16 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 9-9 FT), four rebounds, eight assists and two steals in 35 minutes during Friday's 107-98 victory over the Kings.
The veteran guard continues to struggle with his shot, but his increased usage in the absence of Kawhi Leonard (knee) and Paul George has kept his all-around production high. Through nine games to begin the season, Harden is averaging 20.9 points a contest while shooting just 36.9 percent from the floor and 30.1 percent from three-point range, but that comes with 9.2 assists, 7.7 boards and 2.4 threes a game. Harden's 2.9 combined steals plus blocks a game would also be a career high.
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Clippers' James Harden: Struggles with shot in win
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Harden amassed 18 points (5-15 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 7-9 FT), four rebounds, six assists, one block and three steals in 34 minutes during Wednesday's 110-98 win over the 76ers.
Harden's scoring totals are largely dependent on success beyond the arc. He only converted one of his six shot attempts from deep during the win, which is a concerning trend. After a hot start, Harden's three-point conversion rate has dropped to 28.4 percent, which is well below his seasonal averages. His assist totals are still solid, aiding Harden's bottom line as a fantasy target.
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Clippers' James Harden: Fills stat sheet Saturday
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Harden finished with 12 points (4-13 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 13 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and three steals in 32 minutes during Saturday's 105-92 loss to Oklahoma City.
Harden has one triple-double and five double-doubles in six appearances this season. However, while the veteran guard dished out a season-low seven assists, he continues to rack up enough stats regularly to remain an absolute stud in most fantasy formats. Through six appearances, Harden is averaging 21.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
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Clippers' James Harden: Carries load with triple-double
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Harden chipped in 25 points (8-19 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 6-7 FT), 10 rebounds, 13 assists, two blocks and two steals across 36 minutes during Thursday's 125-119 loss to Phoenix.
The Clippers are still searching for their first win in the Intuit Dome, but Harden is doing all he can to make it happen. His red-hot start is reminiscent of his days with the Rockets, as he's shooting with abandon and distributing the ball efficiently. Turnovers have been a bit of an issue for him, as he's averaged 6.2 cough-ups over five games. Some of his six turnovers in Thursday's loss occurred at pivotal moments when the Clippers could have captured some momentum. The entire team has been careless with the ball, and empty possessions kept them from sealing the deal in the second half.
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Clippers' James Harden: Posts 19/10 double-double in loss
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Harden totaled 19 points (6-18 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 2-4 FT), five rebounds, 10 assists and three steals across 32 minutes during Wednesday's 106-105 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Harden's five three-pointers represented most of his scoring output, and he led the team in assists. Wednesday marked Harden's third consecutive double-digit assist result, and the category should serve as a nice addition to his fantasy totals throughout the season. Harden isn't getting any younger, but Kawhi Leonard's (shoulder) absence and the loss of Paul George is yielding great results as he carries a heavier load.
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Clippers' James Harden: Comes close to triple-double
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Harden registered 23 points (6-19 FG, 2-12 3Pt, 9-9 FT), seven rebounds and 11 assists over 36 minutes during Sunday's 112-104 victory over the Warriors.
Harden finished just three rebounds shy of recording his first triple-double of the season, and the veteran floor general continues to thrive in what has been a better-than-expected start to the campaign for him. Harden is benefiting from the absence of Kawhi Leonard (knee) to experience an uptick in usage rate, and this has led him to record 20-plus points and 10-plus assists in his last two appearances. It's only three games, but his averages of 25.0 points, 11.7 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game are encouraging.
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Clippers' James Harden: Hands out 16 assists Saturday
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Harden posted 23 points (5-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 12-13 FT), six rebounds, 16 assists, a steal and a block across 38 minutes in Saturday's 109-104 win over the Nuggets.
Harden dished out most of his assists to Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell, who finished with 24 and 37 points, respectively. Harden struggled with his shot from beyond the arc, but he still found a way to score consistently and recorded nearly half of his points from the charity stripe. Harden is thriving both as a scorer and playmaker for the Clippers, and his fantasy upside will remain extremely high due to an expected uptick in his already-high usage rate with Kawhi Leonard (knee) out.
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Clippers' James Harden: Set to play against Phoenix
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Harden (rest) is available for Wednesday's game versus the Suns, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Harden will return to action as a starter in the Clippers' regular-season opener after sitting out the team's preseason finale for rest purposes. Harden will likely shoulder a heavy offensive workload due to Kawhi Leonard (knee) being out and Paul George leaving in free agency.
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Clippers' James Harden: Not playing in preseason finale
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Harden (rest) won't play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Kings, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports.
The Clippers will move some things around in the lineup for the preseason finale, and Harden won't be part of the first unit. Bones Hyland, Norman Powell and Terance Mann will start in the backcourt, with Nicolas Batum and Ivica Zubac rounding out the rest of the group. However, Harden should be available for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Suns.
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Clippers' James Harden: Will suit up Monday
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Coach Tyronn Lue said that Harden will play during Monday's preseason matchup against the Mavericks, but he will sit out of the club's final preseason game against the Kings on Thursday, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports.
Harden will suit up for the last time during the preseason Monday. The superstar is the Clippers' clear No. 2 option behind Kawhi Leonard (knee) with Paul George now in Philadelphia. However, Leonard has been known to miss regular-season games, and Harden will pick up the slack as the top option if, and when, Leonard is out.
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Clippers' James Harden: Hits for 14 in preseason win
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Harden scored 14 points (5-10 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 1-3 Ft) while adding five assists, three rebounds and a steal in 18 minutes during Friday's 101-99 preseason win over the Trail Blazers.
The 35-year-old guard continues to have his court time capped in the preseason, but Harden's per-minute contributions have been impressive. With Paul George now in Philly, Harden will have an even bigger role in the Clippers' offense, especially on the nights when Kawhi Leonard (knee) is unavailable. Harden failed to average at least 20 points a game last season for the first time since 2011-12, but shot volume alone should get him back to that level in 2024-25.
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Clippers' James Harden: Hot start in first preseason game
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Harden tallied 14 points (6-9 FG, 2-4 3Pt), four rebounds and two assists across 17 minutes in Tuesday's 115-106 preseason win over the Nets.
Harden was the team's top scorer despite logging only 17 minutes. As the Clippers adjust to life without Paul George, Harden will need to re-ignite some of the magic he showed earlier in his career to improve the team's chances for postseason play. Unlike other seasons, Harden was mostly injury-free during his first year with the team, but he also recorded his worst season averages in points and rebounds since 2010. If his usage increases as expected, Harden should be able to match and possibly exceed last year's results.
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Clippers' James Harden: Dishes eight dimes vs. Warriors
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Harden tallied 13 points (2-6 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 8-8 FT), eight assists, two rebounds and two steals across 17 minutes in Saturday's 91-90 preseason loss to the Warriors.
None of the Clippers' starters saw more than 20 minutes of playing time Saturday, but Harden managed to account for eight of Los Angeles' 21 assists and got to the line for a game-high eight free-throw attempts. Harden is expected to take on a larger role on offense following the departure of Paul George to Philadelphia, and the former could be the focal point if Kawhi Leonard (knee) were to miss the start of the regular season. Harden averaged 16.6 points per game in 2023-24, his lowest scoring output since 2010 as a member of the Thunder.
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Clippers' James Harden: Commits to Clips for two years
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Harden agreed Sunday with the Clippers on a two-year, $70 million contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Harden and the Clippers came to agreement on a new deal just minutes before NBA free agency officially began, though the contract won't become official until at least Saturday. In any case, the 34-year-old point guard is locked in for two more seasons with LA, coming off an inaugural season with the Clippers in which he averaged his fewest points per game (16.6) since 2010-11, but still posted strong marks in just about every other category (8.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks). With Paul George hitting the open market and not expected to return to the Clippers, Harden will likely shoulder more of the offensive load in 2024-25 alongside Kawhi Leonard (knee).
