James Harden’s Season High Overshadows Kawhi Leonard Masterclass – 3 Takeaways as Clippers Thrash Tyrese Haliburton and Co

James Harden, who came into the side as the orchestrator and the ball handler, took charge of the wheel on Monday night. The Los Angeles Clippers took on the promising Indiana Pacers in an away game, dismantled the home side with a blow-out 127-151 win. Currently, the Clippers are steaming ahead with an 8-game winning streak and with his force, the team could enter the top-5 teams of the Western Conference.

Let’s find out three key takeaways from James Harden and men’s masterclass against the in-experienced Pacers.

1. James Harden – the orchestrator

When James Harden moved in to the LA side, the team went off to a slump start with a six-game losing streak. Almost everyone in the NBA world criticized the management for cramping up the roster with stars. However, the team bounced back when the head coach Tyronn Lue made a simple change by pushing Russell Westbrook to bench and reduced the game time of Harden in the first quarter. Eventually, it did the trick for the Clippers. The winning streak speaks for itself.

Meanwhile, Harden not only tried to fit in the team, but also elevated the performances of his teammates. The ball handler was never worried about dropping buckets. Instead, he facilitated his teammates with swift assists. The center Ivica Zubac has been pick of the players with great improvement, with a career high average of 12 points. In tonight’s game he took charge, dropping 35 points and over shadowed Kawhi’s 28 points.

2. Kawhi Leonard’s consistency puts the Clippers on the map

Given the past, the 2x NBA Champ hasn’t had an easy road in his career. Kawhi Leonard overcame three major injuries and missed out an entire season after an ACL tear. The Clippers team was on the receiving end of the injury woes. Ever since the start of his career, he has proven that he isn’t an 82-game player; the star is yet to play all the games in the season. Importantly, the inconsistency on the court impacted Klaw scoring stats.

However, in this season, things have taken a turn as Leonard has been busy taking care of the Clippers’ offense. He has consistently churned in the buckets for the team, averaging 24 points and eased up the responsibilities of Harden and Paul George. Additionally, last time when he consistently scored for his teams, he won 2 championships and this year could be the Clippers’ time to celebrate.

3. Pacers aren’t ready yet despite Tyrese Haliburton’s MVP-level game

The Pacers showed promising signs after reaching the Finals of the In-season Tournament, but the Finals came only reflected the lack of experience and size on the lineup. On the other hand, Tyrese Haliburton has made it to the MVP conversation. The team isn’t ready yet for the championship conversation.

The Pacers sure do have promising names like Buddy Hield and Obi Toppin. A few more seasons into the league, the team can get more threatening than they are right now.

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During the Monday night match-up, it was Benedict Mathurin, who came off the bench and saved the Pacers from the embarrassment. Mathurin dropped 34 points with 6 rebounds. While the highest score from the starting line-up was 15 points.

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Will the Clippers’ run eclipse into their maiden trophy? Let us know in the comments below.