Clippers' James Harden: Curious double-double Saturday
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Harden supplied 13 points (4-15 FG, 2-10 3Pt, 3-4 FT) and 13 assists over 41 minutes during Saturday's 114-103 loss to Phoenix.
While the 36-year-old guard returned from an illness that cost him Thursday's game to deliver his fourth double-double in eight starts, Harden's poor shooting and lack of other production suggested he may not be 100 percent yet. With Kawhi Leonard (ankle) on the shelf for a few games however, the Clippers can't afford to have Harden out of the lineup as well. Harden's averaging 22.0 points, 9.1 assists, 4.6 boards, 3.4 threes and 1.1 steals in 34.5 minutes a contest to begin the season.
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Clippers' James Harden: Will play Saturday
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Harden (illness) is available for Saturday's game against the Suns, independent NBA writer Justin Russo reports.
Harden is under the weather, but he'll gut it out and get out there for Saturday's game. With Harden back in action, Nicolas Batum or Kris Dunn will likely return to the second unit, while Cam Christie could drop from the rotation entirely.
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Clippers' James Harden: Downgraded to questionable
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Harden (illness) is questionable for Saturday's game against the Suns, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Harden is under the weather and was a late addition to the injury report, which doesn't bode well for his status ahead of tipoff at 10:30 p.m. ET. If the star guard is unable to suit up, Kris Dunn and Chris Paul are candidates for an uptick in minutes.
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Clippers' James Harden: Will play Saturday
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Harden (personal) will play Saturday against the Suns, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Harden missed Thursday's game for personal reasons, but he'll be back in action Saturday night and should see his usual minutes. With Harden back, Kris Dunn will likely return to the second unit.
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Clippers' James Harden: Won't play vs. Phoenix
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Harden (personal) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Suns, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Harden won't be on the floor Thursday due to personal reasons. Kawhi Leonard (ankle) has also been ruled out. The shorthanded squad will likely turn to Kris Dunn and Chris Paul to shoulder the load in the backcourt.
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Clippers' James Harden: Posts team-high 25 points
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Harden totaled 25 points (7-17 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 6-6 FT), six rebounds, six assists and one steal over 30 minutes during Tuesday's 126-107 loss to the Thunder.
Harden took full control of the offense with Kawhi Leonard (rest) and Bradley Beal (rest) on the bench. The 3-4 Clippers appear to be stuck in a pattern of sitting Leonard as often as they did last season, and relying solely on Harden for elite production won't help the team's postseason aspirations as the season moves forward. Harden has answered the call consistently so far, averaging 23.3 points, 8.6 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals over seven games.
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Clippers' James Harden: Leading scorer in loss
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Harden notched 29 points (8-15 FG, 6-10 3Pt, 7-7 FT), eight assists, seven rebounds and one steal in 39 minutes during Monday's 120-119 loss to the Heat.
Harden led all scorers with 29 points Monday, though his effort wasn't enough to lift the Clippers in a narrow loss. The Arizona State product is off to an excellent start to his age-36 season, averaging 23.0 points, 9.0 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals with three double-doubles through six games. With Kawhi Leonard and Bradley Beal both candidates to rest for the second half of the back-to-back Tuesday according to independent NBA writer Justin Russo, Harden could be tasked with an even larger offensive load and is well-positioned for another big night against the Thunder.
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Clippers' James Harden: Nabs third double-double of season
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Harden chipped in 24 points (8-19 FG, 4-13 3Pt, 4-5 FT), five rebounds, 14 assists and two steals across 39 minutes during Friday's 126-124 victory over New Orleans.
The double-double was his third in five games to begin the season, and Harden has scored at least 20 points in four straight while grabbing multiple steals in three straight. The 36-year-old guard is showing no signs of slowing down, averaging 21.8 points, 9.2 assists, 4.8 boards, 2.8 threes and 1.4 steals in 33.2 minutes a contest.
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Clippers' James Harden: Paces Los Angeles in loss
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Harden notched 20 points (6-15 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 7-7 FT), four rebounds, two steals and one assist across 32 minutes in Tuesday's 98-79 loss to the Warriors.
Harden struggled from three-point range but still led the team in scoring, finishing as one of just three Clippers players to score in double figures. The 36-year-old guard has posted at least 20 points in three straight games. He's now shooting 49.0 percent from the field across four regular-season outings thus far.
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Clippers' James Harden: Pops for 30 in convincing win
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Harden logged 30 points (8-12 FG, 5-7 3Pt, 9-9 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists and one block in 28 minutes during Friday's 129-102 victory over the Suns.
Harden and Kawhi Leonard were responsible for 57 of LA's 129 points in the blowout, and the duo seems to be perfectly in sync. Harden only missed four shots in the contest and drilled five three-pointers in the win, bringing his total to seven beyond the arc over the first two games. The Clippers emptied the bench after the game was well in hand, so the fact that Harden managed this total with only 28 minutes of work was very impressive.
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Clippers' James Harden: Notches double-double in season opener
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Harden posted 15 points (5-12 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 3-4 FT), two rebounds and 11 assists across 29 minutes during Wednesday's 129-108 loss to Utah.
The Clippers fell behind early to Utah, but that didn't hinder Harden's production. The Beard scored or assisted on 14 of LA's 19 points in the first quarter. He finished with 15 points and 11 assists despite not playing in the final quarter given the large deficit. Harden remains a consistent double-double threat due to his high-volume role in the Clippers offense.
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Clippers' James Harden: Off injury report for Wednesday
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Harden (rest) isn't listed on the Clippers' injury report for Wednesday's game against the Jazz.
Harden sat out Friday's preseason win over the Warriors but will return to action in Wednesday's regular-season opener. The veteran guard appeared in 79 regular-season games in 2024-25, during which he averaged 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 35.3 minutes per contest.
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Clippers' James Harden: Sitting until regular season
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Head coach Tyronn Lue said after Wednesday's 109-91 preseason win over Sacramento that Harden will be rested in Friday's preseason finale, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Harden and Kawhi Leonard will both get the night off Friday against Golden State but should be a full go for the Clippers' regular-season opener Oct. 22. Harden generated eight points (4-10 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 0-2 FT), three rebounds, three assists and one steal across 23 minutes in Wednesday's win.
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Clippers' James Harden: Hands out 11 dimes in 24 minutes
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Harden posted five points (1-6 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 assists, five rebounds, two steals and three turnovers during Sunday's 102-94 preseason loss to the Nuggets.
Harden will again be the primary playmaker for the Clippers this upcoming season, but with the additions of Bradley Beal and Chris Paul, Harden may have his minutes trimmed to the lower-30s. Still, he shouldn't have much trouble putting up top-20 numbers as one of the main guys in Los Angeles.
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Clippers' James Harden: Hands out nine assists
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Harden finished with five points (2-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), nine assists and three turnovers across 16 minutes of Thursday's 142-95 preseason win over the Guangzhou Loong-Lions.
Harden, who signed a two-year, $81.5 million contract over the offseason, is set to reprise his role as the lead playmaker in Los Angeles. Kawhi Leonard is healthy to eased the burden on Harden, and the Clippers reloaded their offense with the likes of Bradley Beal (knee), Chris Paul and John Collins.
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Clippers' James Harden: Declines option, plans to re-sign
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Harden plans to decline his $36.35 million player option for 2025-26 on Sunday and sign a two-year, $81.5 million contract, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Harden averaged 22.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.9 three-pointers in 35.3 minutes per game across 79 regular-season outings during a bounce-back 2024-25 campaign, but he fell short in the playoffs, scoring only seven points in the Game 7 loss to Denver. Regardless, the veteran has revitalized his career in Los Angeles and will likely lead the Clippers in usage during his age-36 season after receiving another raise.
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Clippers' James Harden: Disappoints in Game 7 loss
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Harden amassed seven points (2-8 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, 13 assists, one block and two steals across 35 minutes during Saturday's 120-101 loss to the Nuggets in Game 7 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Harden was somewhat of a non-factor as the Clippers were unceremoniously bundled out of the playoffs. It continues the recent narrative surrounding Harden, specifically that he tends to disappear when it matters most. With that said, it was largely a successful season for the veteran, rekindling his fantasy value. He ended the regular season with averages of 22.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.9 three-pointers.
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Clippers' James Harden: Paces Los Angeles in win
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Harden chipped in 28 points (10-20 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 5-5 FT), eight assists, six rebounds, two steals and one block across 47 minutes during Thursday's 111-105 win over the Nuggets in Game 6 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Harden led the Clippers in scoring Thursday, bouncing back from an 11-point performance during Game 5 in which he shot 3-for-9 from the field. Additionally, the star guard finished with a team-high mark in assists while tying the team high in steals. Harden and the Clippers will look to close out the opening round on the road in Game 7 on Saturday. He has averaged 20.7 points, 8.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks across 40.2 minutes per game in the first round.
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Clippers' James Harden: Sub-par performance in loss
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Harden ended Tuesday's 131-115 loss to the Nuggets in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with 11 points (3-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 5-8 FT), eight rebounds, five assists and two steals in 35 minutes.
Harden had his worst showing of the playoffs on a night when the Clippers were soundly beaten. Although Los Angeles was able to make a small run during the final quarter, the result was never really in doubt. Now trailing 3-2 in the series, Harden and the Clippers will need to reverse their recent trend if there is any hope of forcing a Game 7.
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Clippers' James Harden: Leads team in assists
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Harden logged 20 points (6-14 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds and nine assists over 34 minutes during Thursday's 117-83 win over Denver in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Harden was one rebound shy of recording a double-double during Thursday's playoff victory over the Nuggets. The star guard is averaging 23.3 points, 9.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 38.7 minutes across his first three playoff appearances this season.
