James Harden Bites the Bullet on Embarrassing Meltdown That Cost Clippers West’s No.1 Chance

James Harden did not have a good night. And that’s probably putting it mildly. There will come unforeseen situations in a game when other players will have to step up to the occasion. And tonight, when Kawhi Leonard left after the first quarter with thoracic spasms, it was time for the rest of the Big 4 to rise to the occasion.

With no Russell Westbrook, it’s only natural that the team will look to Harden and Paul George to take the lead. Unfortunately, ‘The Beard’ didn’t find it easy to do. He attempted just 10 shots in the game and kept passing the ball unnecessarily in the fourth quarter when he should have taken the shot.

The Clippers had a total of 18 turnovers tonight against Minnesota. When he was asked about the unforced turnovers, Harden said, “My turnovers weren’t forced by anybody else. They were all on me… That’s something I can control, that I can get better at. And I will.” 

For someone making $33 million a year, hopefully, he keeps his word! Both Paul George and Leonard had evaded the Clippers’ home loss to Milwaukee before tonight. There is no doubt that there would have been a different result had ‘The Klaw’ continued. This season is the healthiest that Los Angeles has got Kawhi Leonard.

James Harden finished the night with 12 points, seven assists, and two rebounds. Paul George led the team in scoring with 22 points, three assists, and rebounds.

The Clippers’ troubles

With a superstar-laden roster, the LA Clippers are one of the favorites as a contending team. Of course, they have had some difficulties and confusion with all the talent initially. But when that was sorted out, the team had injury troubles. Russ is still out with a broken hand. Kawhi is yet to hit 60 games in a regular season. Hopefully, tonight’s injury is a minor one.

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And then there is that slight issue with Harden withering in the postseason. In his time with the Rockets, James Harden has had difficult games in the playoffs. The most obvious one, perhaps happened during the 2017 Western Conference Semifinals. Houston was playing the Spurs, and the latter overpowered the Rockets through a 39-point rout. The icing on the cake – Harden scored just 10 points.

Let’s hope the signs aren’t showing up early this time around. LA still has 18 games to plow through until the playoffs.