Shunning Damian Lillard Excuse, James Harden Owns Up to Bucks Upset in Giannis’ Absence

The All-Star stacked LA Clippers had their showdown with the Milwaukee Bucks tonight but fell short, losing 106-113. Adding insult to injury, the Bucks front-runner Giannis Antetokounmpo was missing from the game after he was labeled “questionable” on account of an Achilles injury. Clippers’ superstar James Harden, in a post-game interview, explained the loss by saying, “You don’t execute and you don’t get quality shots. Turn the basketball over and gives teams opportunities.” He further stated that “execution” is going to “an ongoing conversation” and ended the interview with, “I’m sure every coach will tell you that they’re still working on execution like they’re not where they want to be.”

This win was the Bucks’ biggest since Coach Doc Rivers took the wheel mid-season. With Giannis out, Damian Lillard stole the show, dropping a staggering 41 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Meanwhile Harden led his team with 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists.

While Harden had impressive stats himself, he did not shy away from accepting responsibility of the fact that the Clippers are falling short on the “execution” front, emphasizing that the Clippers’ struggles lie within their own play, not with their opponents.

Battle of the Injured

Riding a 5-game winning high, the shorthanded Bucks defied all odds, overcoming a 15-point deficit and defeating the Clippers 113-106. Despite controlling the first three quarters, the Clippers found themselves trailing in the final period after a dominant performance by a Milwaukee Bucks without the “Greek Freak”.

Led by Damian Lillard’s clutch shooting (9 of his 41 points scored in the 4th quarter) and Bobby Portis’ inside prowess (14 of his 28 points in the final quarter), the Bucks clawed their way back and tied the game with only 4 minutes to go. The Clippers struggled offensively down the stretch, failing to score a field goal for over 3 minutes, ultimately falling short.

The Clippers also caught the injury bug with Russell Westbrook‘s surgery on his fractured left hand. The team expects him to be re-evaluated on a weekly basis. Westbrook sustained the injury during the Clippers’ previous win against the Wizards and has missed the last two games. Prior to the injury, the 35-year-old veteran averaged 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and played 22.6 minutes per game this season.

Tonight’s game saw Clippers’ Paul George dished out 29 points (like teammate Harden) along with 5 rebounds, and 1 assist. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard also bagged 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Not bad from bird’s eye view but not enough to secure a dub.

The Clippers currently sit at the 4th place in the Western Conference, while the defending champions, the Bucks, remain the 2nd seed in the East. With both teams facing the cloud of injuries, question remains: will they be able to  maintain their current status? Share your thoughts below!

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