WATCH: Brooklyn Nets’ James Harden and Clippers’ Patrick Beverley Locked in an Early Tussle

The Brooklyn Nets met the Clippers in an away game to stretch their winning streak. The visitors looked very strong in the first half as James Harden stepped up in the absence of Kevin Durant. 

The high-profile EC vs WC game started on a tense note, with the guards of both the team locking horns early in the game. However, it was The Beard and Patrick Beverley who picked a fight that made the game even more interesting. 

Clippers’ guard forced The Beard to lose his temperament 

Just four minutes into the game, things almost went out of hand. James Harden had the ball possession, clearing past Paul George when he met Patrick Beverley on the way.

The latter stood in front of a sprinting Harden and pulled him by his shoulders. The referee blew the whistle and fortunately for Bev, the Clippers’ guard got away with a personal foul as opposed to a flagrant. Take a look at what happened –

The Beard, however, took his revenge just 1.5 minutes later when he stole the ball off a bad pass from Patrick. That led to Kyrie Irving scoring a three-pointer and taking the score to match with a 10-10. The Nets trailed in Q1 but made for it by dominating the next 12 minutes.

The Brooklyn Nets looked totally under control tonight

James Harden scored 21 points, 8 rebs, 4 assists, and 2 steals in the first half itself. Although Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined 31 points by that time, the Nets stayed in charge of the game with their starting five making efficient plays. Joe Harris soon joined The Beard to add to the deep range shots as forward Bruce Brown showed his defensive skills.

The Clippers, apart from The Claw, weren’t really able to exploit a Kevin Durant-less squad. By the end of Q3, the LA-based franchise was trailing 89-79 with very small chances of bouncing back against the guard duo of Harden and Irving.

It was a clash between All-stars that showed how the Nets remain a better side in comparison.

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