It was a necessary hiatus, yet a huge blow for the Los Angeles team. One man who deserved a break in this league is undoubtedly James Harden. The veteran guard took up the responsibility of a team that he barely knew a year ago. Guess what? The Beard has played every single game till now with an inexperienced side and has managed to keep its head above the water with clinical performances. 24 games later, the 10x All-Star has missed his first game of the season.

So, what’s happened to James Harden?

On Saturday, the team had its first practice session since October because of their tight schedule. And it was a delightful day for the media to get closer to the Clippers. Following the practice, Coach Ty Lue interacted with the press and revealed injury updates on multiple players like Norman Powell, the Clips’ scoring leader, Kevin Porter Jr., and Kawhi Leonard.

Unexpectedly, the team injury report had a new entrant. It was the Step Back King. Well, some would add ‘former’, but you get the idea. Initially, the team listed the veteran point guard in the Questionable category, citing groin soreness. The update remained the same for a while until the LA team ruled him out moments before the tip-off.

However, tonight was the worst possible game for James Harden to miss out.

The Clippers are taking on the Rockets for the third time this season. In the last 2 times, the LA side suffered embarrassing losses. H-Town is coming into this game with a 2-game losing streak. So, Jalen Green & Co. would look to rain down on the short-handed Clips to end their frustrating run. So, the question is, will the James Harden-less team hold off the lethal Rockets? Only time will tell.

James Harden’s ‘recurring’ injury history can be a cause for concern

The last thing the Clippers would want is another injured star on the bench. Kawhi Leonard, who is dealing with a knee injury, is yet to make his debut this season. ‘Really, where is he, though?’ That’s literally been everyone’s reaction when they talk about The Klaw these days. Now, Harden, technically his scoring partner, who has taken full responsibility for the LA side, missed his first game of the season with a groin soreness. As per the information available on the internet, a mild groin soreness will take at least a week to heal. While it’s a positive sign that Harden won’t miss more than 2-3 games, we aren’t aware of the severity of the injury.

As a worst-case scenario, a severe groin strain can keep the star out of action for months. It pains to hear all this as the Clippers’ fans are already going through such challenging times. On the other hand, James Harden has the worst injury history, if not worse, at least quite frustrating. The veteran guard struggled with a hamstring injury during his stint with the Nets. Even though he recovered from it, the injury kept coming back. So, the LA team has to take good care of the star before deploying him on the floor again.

Nevertheless, for tonight, Ty Lue revealed that Norman Powell will return to the game, so the Clippers don’t really need to worry about the offensive business. Anyway, who do you think will win the game? Let us know in the comments below.