<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/spurs-news-victor-wembanyama-surpasses-stephen-curry-james-harden-unreal-3-point-feat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Victor Wembanyama surpasses Stephen Curry, James Harden with 3-point feat');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Victor-Wembanyama-surpasses-Stephen-Curry-James-Harden-Ray-Allen-with-unreal-3-point-feat.jpg"></figure><h1>Victor Wembanyama surpasses Stephen Curry, James Harden with 3-point feat</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T07:02:47-08:00">December 22nd, 7:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T07:02:47-08:00">December 22nd, 7:02am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>San Antonio Spurs superstar center <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-victor-wembanyama-makes-nba-history-bonkers-performance-vs-hawks">Victor Wembanyama isn’t a stranger to making NBA history</a>. Sure, the 20-year-old French phenom is just 94 games into his NBA career, but he’s already <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/spurs-news-victor-wembanyama-replicates-wild-tim-duncan-rookie-record-amid-dpoy-bid">cracked the NBA record book on numerous occasions</a>. Take for example, on Saturday night, when in a 114-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, Wembanyama became the only player in league history to have 10 blocks and 4 three-pointers made in the same game.</p><p>But for a moment, let’s zoom out and evaluate the spectacular play of Victor Wembanyama not just on Saturday night, but over the course of what has so far been a sensational 94 game career. And let’s look at what the future face of the NBA has accomplished from three-point range in comparison to the three most prolific long-range shooters ever.</p><p>Per San Antonio Spurs PR specialist Jordan Howenstine, Wembanyama made his 200th career three-pointer on Saturday night, <a href="https://x.com/AirlessJordan/status/1870669538653876390" rel="noopener">reaching that mark faster</a> than Stephen Curry (who did so in 99 career games), James Harden (153 career games) and Ray Allen (131 career games). Curry, Harden and Allen currently top the list of the most three-pointers made in NBA history.</p><p>Now, it <i>is </i>important to consider context in an exercise like this one. Part of this has to do with Wemby having the green light right away to launch triples at an historic pace in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-complains-about-3s-in-nba">three-point happy NBA</a>. Wemby is shooting nine threes per game so far this season. Ray Allen never shot that many three’s in a single season, reaching a career high in attempts of 8.4 per game in his 10th year in the league. It took Curry until his 7th season to shoot more than 9 three-pointers per game, and Harden until his 8th season.</p><p>With that said, it’s unlikely that Wembanyama will see a dip in his attempts any time soon, especially if he continues to improve from three-point range. After hitting just under 33 percent of his three’s during his unprecedented rookie season, Wemby is up to 35 percent this year, and he’s hit 40 percent of his triples in his last 15 games after a slow start to the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Victor Wembanyama surpasses Stephen Curry, James Harden with 3-point feat

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mavericks-news-jason-kidd-james-harden-clippers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Jason Kidd issues James Harden reality before Clippers rematch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jason-Kidd-James-Harden-article.jpg"></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Jason Kidd issues James Harden reality before Clippers rematch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-21T04:04:49-08:00">December 21st, 4:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-21T04:04:49-08:00">December 21st, 4:04am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>DALLAS — The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-klay-thompson-clippers-luka-doncic-kyrie-irving">Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Dallas Mavericks</a> 118-95 on Thursday night. LA ended up having three players score 21 or more points, with James Harden playing a big role in the Clippers’ scoring attack. Harden scored 24 points and recorded seven assists, while Norman Powell led LA with 29 points and Ivica Zubac added 21. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd <a href="https://x.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1870200864612184158" rel="noopener">addressed the honest reality</a> of playing against a star like Harden at practice on Friday.</p><p>“Yeah, he’s good. Harden is one of the best in the league at being able to score and also set the table for his teammates,” Kidd said. “And he did that well last night. We gotta try to make it tougher on him.”</p><p>The Mavericks will host the Clippers once again on Saturday night in what projects to be an exciting rematch. Dallas played without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on Thursday, as the Mavs stars were out due to injuries. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-luka-doncic-out-kyrie-irving-in-for-clippers-rematch">Irving, who was dealing with right shoulder soreness, is expected to return</a> on Saturday night. However, Doncic, who continues to battle a left heel contusion, has been ruled out.</p><h2><b>Mavericks searching for defensive answers against James Harden, Clippers</b></h2><p>No, the Clippers do not have Paul George on the roster anymore, as he joined the Philadelphia 76ers during the offseason. Kawhi Leonard also remains out due to injury. Yet, LA features a more than capable offensive attack.</p><p>Harden controls the offense at an elite level. He is an extremely intelligent player, often making the right decision whether it is for himself or a teammate. Harden feels comfortable being aggressive on offense, but he is terrific at taking what the defensive gives him. If a defense makes him their primary focus, Harden will probably end up with more than 10 assists.</p><p>Harden demonstrated his balanced offensive game on Thursday. His 24 points and seven assists may not jump off the page, but he seemingly played a significant role on almost every Clippers’ offensive possession. With the Mavs having to focus on him, Norman Powell took advantage and finished just one point shy of 30 for the night.</p><p>Ivica Zubac causes no shortage of problems in the post. He can play as a roll-man to the basket, but he’s also capable of creating looks for himself in the post.</p><p>The Mavericks need an answer. Yes, Irving’s return will unquestionably provide an offensive boost. But Dallas must “make it tougher” on Harden, as Kidd said.</p><p>The Clippers and Mavericks will go head-to-head once again on Saturday night at 8:30 PM EST.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Jason Kidd issues James Harden reality before Clippers rematch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-harden-makes-nba-history-with-34-point-half-vs-jazz');   ga('set', 'title', 'James Harden makes NBA history with 34-point half vs. Jazz');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/James-Harden-makes-NBA-history-with-34-point-half-vs.-Jazz.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>James Harden makes NBA history with 34-point half vs. Jazz</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-17T10:06:59-08:00">December 17th, 10:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-17T10:06:59-08:00">December 17th, 10:06am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>James Harden <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1869060067938680930" rel="noopener">delivered</a> a historic performance Monday night, exploding for 34 points in the first half as the Los Angeles Clippers cruised to a dominant 144-107 victory over the Utah Jazz, snapping their three-game losing streak in emphatic fashion.</p><p>Harden’s brilliance was on full display from the opening tip, as the 35-year-old guard orchestrated an offensive masterclass. His 34-point first half powered the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-ivica-zubac-hits-memorable-nba-milestone-amid-jazz-blowout">Clippers to a commanding 81-47 lead at the break</a>. According to Stathead, Harden became the first player since the NBA began tracking play-by-play data in 1996-97 to record seven or more three-pointers and 10 or more free throws in a single half. He shot 7-for-10 from beyond the arc and 11-for-13 from the free throw line in the opening two quarters, overwhelming a Jazz defense that had no answers.</p><h2><b>James Harden’s historic night fuels Clippers’ win over Jazz</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/James-Harden-1-is-defended-by-Utah-Jazz-guard-Collin-Sexton-2.jpg"><figcaption>© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Harden continued to shine in the second half, finishing the game with 41 points, six assists, one rebound, one steal, and one block. He shot an efficient 11-for-17 from the field overall, 7-for-12 from three-point range, and 12-for-14 from the free throw line, capping off one of the most impressive scoring performances of the season.</p><p>Norman Powell added another key boost for Los Angeles, finishing with 29 points, four rebounds, one assist, and a steal. Powell shot 12-for-16 from the field, consistently attacking the Utah defense and providing a reliable secondary scoring option.</p><p>The Clippers delivered one of their most efficient offensive performances of the season, shooting 59.8% from the field and 53.8% from three-point range. Los Angeles connected on 21 three-pointers as a team and capitalized on Utah’s mistakes, scoring 34 points off 23 Jazz turnovers.</p><p>The Jazz, who dropped to 5-20 on the season, struggled on both ends of the court. Jordan Clarkson led Utah with 20 points, but the team’s carelessness with the ball and inability to defend the perimeter left them trailing early and unable to recover.</p><p>With the victory, the Clippers improved to 15-12 and gained momentum ahead of a challenging road trip. Los Angeles will face the Dallas Mavericks (17-9) in back-to-back games starting Thursday before wrapping up the stretch against the Memphis Grizzlies (18-9) on Monday.</p><p>Moreover, Harden’s record-breaking night, paired with Powell’s strong performance, underscored the Clippers’ offensive potential as they look to continue climbing the Western Conference standings.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

James Harden makes NBA history with 34-point half vs. Jazz

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-ime-udoka-reveals-message-james-harden-turning-down-reunion');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Ime Udoka reveals message to James Harden while turning down reunion');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rockets-news-Ime-Udoka-reveals-message-to-James-Harden-while-turning-down-reunion.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ Ime Udoka reveals message to James Harden while turning down reunion</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-15T20:07:04-08:00">December 15th, 8:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-15T20:07:04-08:00">December 15th, 8:07pm</time><address><a>Dylan Fine</a>Dylan Fine focuses on the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints, in addition to working on the meme team. Dylan is a graduate of Georgetown University and has covered various topics ranging from local politics in the DMV region with DC Voter For Animals to live sporting events in the Long Island and Rochester areas with The Southampton Press and Pickin’Splinters. When he isn't working, he's usually running in preparation for the next annual Turkey Trot.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka’s reason for turning down a reunion with star point guard James Harden has just been revealed. Two seasons after three straight years as one of the worst teams in the NBA, the Rockets are back near the top of the Western Conference. Houston is currently the No. 3 seed with an electrifying young core. This culture reset started with the 2023 offseason that included the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-fred-vanvleet-free-agency-3-year-130-million-contract">additions of point guard Fred VanVleet</a> and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-dillon-brooks-free-agency-4-year-80-million-contract">small forward Dillon Brooks</a>.</p><p>Both VanVleet and Brooks have been essential to Houston’s emphasis on the defensive side of the floor. The two have also greatly influenced young talents like Amen Thompson and Tari Eason. The Rockets, however, almost signed James Harden during the offseason of 2023. Udoka, the incoming coach at the time, turned that idea down. Sam Amick, a Senior NBA Writer for The Athletic, explained Udoka’s message to Harden which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5990739/2024/12/13/ime-udoka-rockets-nba-defense/" rel="noopener">shut down that potential reunion</a>.</p><p>“There was great respect for Harden and his game, but it wasn’t the right fit. If the plan was to build a defensive juggernaut with a balanced offense — and it was — then adding a ball-dominant, all-time great who never has been known for defense wasn’t the way to go. ‘My main thing for us was what fits best with our young guys to continue to grow?’ Udoka said. ‘But also, out of respect for James, (I told him), You’re at the stage where you want to win, and we’re not there yet. And it wasn’t just James.'”</p><h2><b>Houston’s physicality has been a problem for the rest of the league</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Rockets-Tari-Eason-and-Amen-Thompson.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Houston has shifted into one of the most physically imposing teams in the league since Udoka has taken over. The team has lived by the motto that Udoka <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5990739/2024/12/13/ime-udoka-rockets-nba-defense/" rel="noopener">explains as</a> “no friends on the floor.” The Rockets are second in defensive rating this year and first in rebounding rate. Houston additionally ranks in the top five in points allowed in the paint. The shift in mentality and culture has ultimately been clear since Udoka walked into the building.</p><p>The Rockets currently have the 13th-oldest roster in the NBA. Despite this stat, most of this team’s best players are very inexperienced. Six of Houston’s eight leading scorers are 23 or younger. This includes Alpheren Sengun, who should make his first All-Star team this season. The Turkish star is averaging a double-double for the first time in his career, proving to be one of the best young stars in the NBA.</p><p>Going forward, Houston will be primed to compete in the West with the team it lost to in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-fans-notice-disrespectful-rockets-thunder-description-on-league-pass-before-nba-cup-game">In-Season Tournament. The Oklahoma City Thunder</a> is the other young juggernaut in the conference that the Rockets must overcome. The Rockets have built the necessary defensive identity to make a deep run in the playoffs. However, Houston’s young stars must also evolve on the offensive end to take the next step and become a top contender.</p><p>Overall, James Harden wasn’t the right fit for Houston at that time. The star point guard has been a stellar addition to the Los Angeles Clippers over the past two years. But Ime Udoka had a vision, and so far, he has executed it to near perfection.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Ime Udoka reveals message to James Harden while turning down reunion

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-hardens-restaurant-appears-on-wrongful-death-lawsuit');   ga('set', 'title', 'James Harden’s restaurant appears on wrongful death lawsuit');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/James-Hardens-restaurant-appears-on-wrongful-death-lawsuit.jpg"></figure><h1>James Harden’s restaurant appears on wrongful death lawsuit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-11T20:31:48-08:00">December 11th, 8:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-11T20:31:48-08:00">December 11th, 8:31pm</time><address><a>Nathan Yasis</a>Nathan Yasis is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints, specializing in the NBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A Houston, Texas, restaurant owned by Los Angeles Clippers star and former Houston Rocket James Harden has been named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed earlier this week.</p><p>Cassaundra Jackson, the mother of Taylar Jackson, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/james-hardens-restaurant-named-in-wrongful-death-lawsuit-for-allegedly-overserving-customer-before-car-crash/" rel="noopener">one of the seven victims</a> of the November 2023 fatal crash, has filed a lawsuit against Harden’s restaurant “Thirteen,” alleging it failed in its legal duty to stop serving alcohol to an “obnoxiously intoxicated person,” according to court documents. Filed on Monday in Harris County District Court, the lawsuit claims the restaurant overserved Christian Daniel Herrera, contributing to the tragic accident. Jackson is seeking more than $1 million in damages.</p><h2><b>Houston police report</b></h2><p>Houston police reported that Herrera was driving a black Chrysler 300 southbound on Fannin at high speed when he ran a red light at Pierce and collided with a black Acura SUV.</p><p>According to authorities, three occupants of the SUV were ejected upon impact, and the Chrysler veered off the road, striking a pedestrian on the sidewalk.</p><p>Four individuals, including both drivers, were pronounced dead at the scene. Three others succumbed to their injuries later. Police noted that one man survived the tragic incident.</p><p>Authorities identified Lauren Robinson-Holliday, 32, as the driver of the SUV. She was pronounced dead at the scene.</p><p>Frank Johnson, 31, was named by police as the pedestrian struck by the car. He also died at the scene.</p><p>Seven lives were tragically lost in a collision at the intersection of Fannin Street and Pierce Street at approximately 2 a.m. on November 11, 2023. The victims included former University of Houston <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raiders-news-dj-hayden-tragically-dies-car-crash-33">football players D.J. Hayden</a>, Zachary McMillian, and Ralph Oragwu. Hayden, 33, had notably spent nine seasons in the NFL.</p><p>The lawsuit further claims that the restaurant staff neglected to monitor and document the number of drinks provided to an individual patron, among other alleged oversights.</p><p>Herrera consumed alcohol to the point of severe intoxication, resulting in a blood alcohol concentration of 0.139.</p><h2><b>James Harden’s company’s response</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/James-Harden-playing-for-the-Clippers.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Krohn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Jackson’s attorney informed the media that they preferred not to discuss the crash on camera, opting to let the legal process unfold in court.</p><p>In response, James <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-james-hardens-houston-restaurant-opening-in-january-amid-trade-rumors">Harden’s company and restaurant</a> that opened three years ago released the following statement, “We cannot imagine what the family of Taylar Jackson has gone through this past year and offer our deepest sympathies to them and everyone whose lives were deeply impacted by that tragic accident. We were just made aware of the filing of this lawsuit. We ask for your patience as we gather more information on this filing and will make a more formal statement as soon as possible.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

James Harden’s restaurant appears on wrongful death lawsuit

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mavericks-news-luka-doncic-wilt-chamberlain-james-harden-triple-double');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks’ Luka Doncic passes Wilt Chamberlain, James Harden on all-time list');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mavericks-news-Luka-Doncic-passes-Wilt-Chamberlain-James-Harden-on-all-time-list.jpg"></figure><h1>Mavericks’ Luka Doncic passes Wilt Chamberlain, James Harden on all-time list</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-07T19:45:23-08:00">December 7th, 7:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-07T19:45:23-08:00">December 7th, 7:45pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Luka Doncic <a href="https://x.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1865592328863252712" rel="noopener">surpassed</a> Wilt Chamberlain and James Harden for sole possession of seventh place on the all-time triple-doubles list on Saturday night.</p><p>Doncic recorded 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the triple-double, adding four steals as well in the Dallas Mavericks’ 125-118 victory over the Toronto Raptors. It was a stellar effort from Doncic and the Mavs, as Dallas has now won seven consecutive games and they hold a 16-8 record.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Luka Doncic vs. the Raptors: 30 PTS, 13 REB, 11 AST, 4 STL</p><p>Doncic recorded his 79th career triple-double, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain and James Harden for sole possession of 7th place on the all-time list.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MFFL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MFFL</a> <a href="https://t.co/BZy9RG1yuB">pic.twitter.com/BZy9RG1yuB</a></p><p>— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeyMistretta_/status/1865592328863252712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Luka recorded his 47th 30-point triple-double as well. According to Mavs PR, Doncic is just one triple-double away <a href="https://x.com/MavsPR/status/1865591953833722230" rel="noopener">from tying</a> Russell Westbrook’s 48 career 30-point triple-doubles for the second most in NBA history.</p><p>At just 25 years old, Doncic is on a Hall of Fame trajectory without question. What he is accomplishing on the court on a consistent basis is truly mesmerizing. Of course, they call what he does “Luka Magic” for a reason, something he displayed against the Raptors to end the first-half on Saturday night.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LUKA DONCIC BEATS THE BUZZER FROM WAY DOWNTOWN 😱<a href="https://t.co/Op6FCqU3D7">pic.twitter.com/Op6FCqU3D7</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1865572702917939394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Luka Doncic can make seemingly impossible shots look effortless. It should be noted, though, that Luka had plenty of help in the Mavs’ win on Saturday night.</p><h2><b>Luka Doncic, Mavs take care of business against Raptors</b></h2><p>Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and added six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Klay Thompson had 20 points and five rebounds in the win, while PJ Washington contributed 13 points and five rebounds.</p><p>Dallas’ depth has played a crucial role in their recent success. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-dallas-jaden-hardy-naji-marshall-injury-updates-raptors">Mavs’ depth allows them to overcome injury concerns</a>. In the end, though, it is Doncic who leads the way.</p><p>Luka is finding his offensive consistency without question. He is also taking a step forward on the defensive end of the floor. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-luka-doncic-improvement-defense">Doncic has quietly played an impactful role on defense for the Mavericks</a>.</p><p>Luka Doncic’s primary focus is on helping the Mavs win games, but he will continue to make individual history along the way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks’ Luka Doncic passes Wilt Chamberlain, James Harden on all-time list

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-harden-hilarious-reaction-to-throwback-stirring-pot-celebration');   ga('set', 'title', 'James Harden’s hilarious reaction to throwback stirring pot celebration in Clippers in vs. Nuggets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Clippers-news-James-Hardens-hilarious-reaction-to-throwback-stirring-pot-celebration.jpg"></figure><h1>James Harden’s hilarious reaction to throwback stirring pot celebration in Clippers in vs. Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-02T05:54:14-08:00">December 2nd, 5:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-02T07:26:52-08:00">December 2nd, 7:26am</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his off time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Denver Nuggets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers have won <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-passes-stephen-curry-in-nba-history-with-latest-bonkers-feat">eight straight games at home</a>, the longest active streak in the NBA. In their most recent win against the Denver Nuggets, Harden stole the show with a dazzling move in the fourth quarter that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-passes-ray-allen-on-all-time-3-pointers-made-list">brought back fond memories</a> for a lot of fans.</p><p>During his days with the Houston Rockets, James Harden was known for his incredible one-on-one scoring ability. Once he’s finish, “cooking up,” a defender, the superstar would make a, “stirring the pot,” motion. That celebration is one he made famous and some tried to emulate unsuccessfully.</p><h2><b>Clippers’ James Harden’s reacts to stirring pot celebration</b></h2><p>With a little over two minutes to play in a game that the Clippers led 118-114, James Harden drove to the basket and found himself switched onto Nuggets forward Peyton Watson. While a solid defender, Watson lacked the foot-speed to keep up with a guy like Harden.</p><p>Harden reset at the three-point line, got into his between the leg dribble to lull Watson to sleep, drove left before crossing back over to the right and knocking down a 17-foot mid-range jump shot — his only made bucket of the fourth quarter.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/James-Harden-driving-on-Russell-Westbrook-during-the-Clippers-Nuggets-game.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After the shot went in, Harden ran back on defense, but not before throwing up his signature, “stirring the pot,” celebration. The former Rockets guard popularized the celebration during his time with Houston, but did it less and less as his career moved away from Houston.</p><p>After the game, Harden was asked about the celebration and what that brought it out of him.</p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about it,” <a href="https://x.com/icedawizard/status/1863579833491735003" rel="noopener">Harden responded</a> with a grin. “Nope, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Me: “When you and James Harden have it going in that 3rd quarter, what does that feel like?”</p><p>Norman Powell: “Just flow man. It feels like we’re playing the game right way. Just flow.”</p><p>James Harden: *Laughs* “That shit feel good man, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” <a href="https://t.co/TaUTkoBFvx">pic.twitter.com/TaUTkoBFvx</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1863479117255168299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>James Harden finished the contest with 39 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists, leading the Clippers to a 126-122 victory over the Denver Nuggets despite an absurd 28-point, 14-rebound, 11-assist triple-double from three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.</p><p>Since their three-game losing streak in early November, the Clippers have won seven of their last nine games with James Harden averaging 24.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 9.7 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on 40.4 percent shooting from the field and 38.8 percent from three.</p><p>After getting double-digit free throw attempts just twice in the first 15 games, Harden has recorded at least 10 free throw attempts in five of the last seven games. He’s also logged four double-digit assist games over that span as well, including a 16-assist performance against the Golden State Warriors.</p><p>“I’m feeling a lot better,” My legs are starting to — for an older guy in this league, 16 years in this league, it takes me a little bit more time to get acclimated. Especially [since] my role has changed. I haven’t had this role in four or five years, so it just took me some time to get there. But as you guys can see, game by game I continue to get better and I’ll eventually put a lot more efficiency in and less turnovers.</p><p>“But at this point, it’s just finding ways to win games. That’s the most important thing, and especially now having Norm back, it just made my job a lot easier. So, tonight is one of those games where you find a way to win and that’s all that matters.”</p><p>Norman Powell, who missed the last six games with a left hamstring strain suffered against the Golden State Warriors on November 18th, returned on Sunday in a limited fashion.</p><p>The Clippers’ leading scorer scored 28 points in just 25 minutes of play, shooting 9-of-17 from the field and 5-of-8 from three. Powell and Harden combined to score 25 of the Clippers’ 33 points in the third quarter on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from three.</p><p>“Just flow man,” <a href="https://x.com/TomerAzarly/status/1863479117255168299" rel="noopener">Norman Powell said</a>, describing what it felt like in those moments where shot after shot goes in. “It feels like we’re playing the game right way. Just flow—”</p><p>That’s when James Harden cut him off with a laugh to say, “That sh-t feel good man, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p>“It’s a flow man, a flow of the game, finding open shots,” Powell added. “I think it’s good. It’s the energy, you feel the energy from my shots to James to Nico [Batum], I mean Mo [Bamba] hit a big three in the corner. The game was going away, you felt the energy, you felt the shift in momentum in the game when we came out in the third and we kind of got some easy buckets and things like that. I think the shot-making and locking in on the defensive end really got us going. It definitely felt good, the energy was good.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Me: “When you and James Harden have it going in that 3rd quarter, what does that feel like?”</p><p>Norman Powell: “Just flow man. It feels like we’re playing the game right way. Just flow.”</p><p>James Harden: *Laughs* “That shit feel good man, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” <a href="https://t.co/TaUTkoBFvx">pic.twitter.com/TaUTkoBFvx</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1863479117255168299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Clippers’ win over the Denver Nuggets gives them a 2-0 lead in the season series with only one scheduled back in Denver in January. LA will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night, the final game of NBA Cup play for them. That will help determine who the two teams are that they’ll play in the week off that the NBA scheduled for NBA Cup play in Las Vegas, Nevada.</p><p>Norman Powell has already found his shooting stroke, but he just needs to stay healthy. If Harden is able to increase his efficiency closer to his career averages, it would go a long way towards helping a Clippers team that many are already surprised by.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

James Harden’s hilarious reaction to throwback stirring pot celebration in Clippers in vs. Nuggets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-harden-strengthens-hof-case-stephen-curry-exclusive-nba-club');   ga('set', 'title', 'Clippers’ James Harden strengthens HOF case after joining Stephen Curry on exclusive NBA club');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Clippers-news-James-Harden-strengthens-HOF-case-after-joining-Stephen-Curry-on-exclusive-NBA-club.jpg"></figure><h1>Clippers’ James Harden strengthens HOF case after joining Stephen Curry on exclusive NBA club</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-02T05:44:40-08:00">December 2nd, 5:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-02T05:44:40-08:00">December 2nd, 5:44am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>James Harden’s Hall-of-Fame case keeps on growing, as he joined Stephen Curry in a very exclusive club. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-passes-stephen-curry-in-nba-history-with-latest-bonkers-feat">Harden broke one of Curry’s records</a> against the Washington Wizards, they’re in the same conversation. Both players are the only active players, and players in NBA history to <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1863434726477816265" rel="noopener">eclipse 3,000 threes</a> in their respective careers. Curry has 3,810 three-pointers made, while Harden has 3,004. Regardless, both players have dominated in their generation through similar, yet different play styles.<br><br>Harden operates the best in a pick-and-roll, as well as isolation situations. He can manipulate the defense with his deceiving ball handling, as well as elite playmaking. Those two factors force defenses to decide how he’ll beat them. Considering that Harden has over 3,000 threes made in his career, opposing teams truly respect his outside shot. During his three-year scoring reign (2017-2019), the Clippers guard was taking over 10 threes a game. People knew what was coming but it didn’t matter.<br><br>Harden hasn’t just been a top-tier three-point shooter, he’s been elite everywhere, offensively. His playmaking is often overlooked, even though he’s led the league in assists per game for two seasons. The mix of scoring and facilitating is truly a generational one.</p><h2><b>James Harden’s Hall-of-Fame résumé keeps growing with the Clippers</b></h2><p>The Arizona State basketball guard has more accolades than the ones previously mentioned. In addition to those, he is a 10-time all-star, the 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year, as well as a <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hardeja01.html" rel="noopener">seven-time All-NBA selection</a>, which came in an eight-season span. While he had the ball in his hands as a scorer, when he initially left for the Brooklyn Nets, he was asked to be a true facilitator.</p><p>He thrived in the role, playing alongside Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving. Although that experiment didn’t work out, Harden added years to his career, after showing he can be a second or even third option. In the 2024-25 season, the point guard has had to play as a No. 1 option, with Kawhi Leonard being ruled out indefinitely. Not to mention, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-philly-makes-paul-george-splash-free-agency">Paul George signed with the Philadelphia 76ers</a> in the offseason, so it left Harden all alone, once again.</p><p>However, his teammates have stepped up and have thrived off of Harden’s playmaking. For instance, Clippers guard Norman Powell is having a career season, averaging 23.6 points per game. Even in his age 35 season, Harden is finding ways to be an effective contributor.</p><p>Some will say that he’s not worthy of being in the Hall-of-Fame because he has no championships. Regardless of that, his résumé is beyond impressive, while being alongside Curry in carrying a basketball generation through the 2010s.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Clippers’ James Harden strengthens HOF case after joining Stephen Curry on exclusive NBA club

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-harden-joins-michael-jordan-kobe-bryant-wilt-chamberlain-nba-history');   ga('set', 'title', 'James Harden joins Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain in NBA history');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Clippers-news-James-Harden-joins-Michael-Jordan-Kobe-Bryant-Wilt-Chamberlain-in-NBA-history.jpg"></figure><h1>James Harden joins Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain in NBA history</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-28T07:33:27-08:00">November 28th, 7:33am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-28T07:33:27-08:00">November 28th, 7:33am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>James Harden connected on seven three-pointers en route to 23 first-quarter points in the Los Angeles Clippers’ 121-96 win against the Washington Wizards. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-gets-real-after-43-point-explosion-vs-wizards">Harden scored a season-high 43 points</a> as the Clippers bounced back from their 32-point loss (126-94) to the champion Boston Celtics. For the 10-time All-Star, it was his 100th career 40+ point performance, joining an elite company of Hall of Famers Golden State Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain, Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan, and Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant.</p><p>Harden’s 43-point performance was <a href="https://x.com/statmuse/status/1861949310834765979/photo/1" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> via StatMuse’s X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Players with one hundred 40-point games:</p><p>— Wilt — MJ — Kobe … And James Harden,” the post read.</p><p>Harden shot 13-of-22, including 7-for-11 from deep, and went 10-for-11 from the free-throw line. James also finished with seven assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Ivica Zubac notched a double-double (18 points, 16 rebounds), and Jordan Miller’s 15 points led the bench for Los Angeles.</p><h2><b>Clippers’ James Harden makes NBA history, surpasses Kobe Bryant</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Clippers-guard-James-Harden.jpg"><figcaption>Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>James Harden scored 23 of the Clippers’ 37 first-quarter points. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-breaks-kobe-bryant-record-spectacular-start-wizards">Harden surpassed Kobe for the most 30+ point halves</a>, scoring 31 points after the second quarter of the Clippers’ lopsided win at the nation’s capital. After the victory, Harden talked about his offensive approach against the Wizards.</p><p>When a reporter asked what led to such an offensive explosion, Harden kept his answer simple.</p><p>“I was just being aggressive,” Harden said. “Being aggressive and good things happen.”</p><p>Harden related it to the Clippers’ team goals and did whatever it took to add another win before he caught fire throughout the first three quarters.</p><p>“We have to continue to find ways to win,” Harden added. “I think defensively, we can still get a lot better. Sometimes, we get a little too comfortable, but we’re good enough, especially defensively, to where we can still be in games. It’s offensively making sure we can know what we’re trying to get to offensively, then consistently running and being efficient at it. But for the most part, we’ve done a good job.</p><p>“I feel like every team feels this way, but there’s a couple of games we wish we could take back and win, but that’s what the long season is for, so just continue to get better as a unit,” Harden concluded.</p><p>So far, Harden’s having a stellar 2024-25, averaging 21.6 points, 8.7 assists, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game this season. The Clippers improved to 12-8, sixth in the Western Conference. They’ll face the Timberwolves on Monday before hosting the Nuggets on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

James Harden joins Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain in NBA history

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-harden-passes-stephen-curry-in-nba-history-with-latest-bonkers-feat');   ga('set', 'title', 'Clippers’ James Harden passes Stephen Curry in NBA history with latest bonkers feat');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/0-James-Harden-passes-Stephen-Curry-in-NBA-history-with-latest-bonkers-feat-0.jpg"></figure><h1>Clippers’ James Harden passes Stephen Curry in NBA history with latest bonkers feat</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-28T07:29:55-08:00">November 28th, 7:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-28T07:31:10-08:00">November 28th, 7:31am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards stood no chance of winning on Wednesday night with the way James Harden came out of the gates to lead the way for the Los Angeles Clippers. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-1st-quarter-stat-wizards">Harden scored 23 points in the first quarter alone</a> on an elite 9-11 shooting from the field, and in the end, he finished with 43 points, four rebounds, and seven assists while going 13-22 overall, 7-11 from deep, and 10-11 from the foul line in a 121-96 win.</p><p>In the process of torching the Wizards, Harden set a few records along the way, with one of them being the record for most games with 40+ points and five-plus threes. According to StatMuse, the Clippers star now has the most such games in NBA history, surpassing Stephen Curry to become <a href="https://x.com/statmuse/status/1861956159772475444" rel="noopener">first all time</a> in that department.</p><p>No one can argue the fact that Harden is one of the greatest three-point marksmen the league has ever seen. He launches threes at such an incredible volume, and there was once a time when his stepback three was the most lethal weapon in the entire association.</p><p>But now that he’s on the Clippers, Harden has slowed down considerably, especially relative to where he was during his peak with the Houston Rockets. However, this <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-gets-real-after-43-point-explosion-vs-wizards">current version of Harden can still dominate teams</a>, especially those with poor perimeter defense like the Wizards do. He even made Bilal Coulibaly, one of the fastest-rising defenders in the league, look foolish on multiple occasions.</p><p>On any given night, Harden’s peak self can still make an appearance and will his teams to victory. The Clippers may not have needed him to explode for 40 to win against the Wizards, but The Beard decided to finish up his business early as everyone prepares for Thanksgiving.</p><h2>Clippers star James Harden stands tall with Stephen Curry on the all-time 3PM list</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/James-Harden-dribbles-against-Bub-Carrington-during-the-Clippers-Wizards-game.jpg"></figure><p>When the topic of the best shooter of all-time comes up, fans don’t usually think of James Harden. But after being the main man in Houston for so long thanks to his analytics-friendly game that prioritizes threes, layups, and free throws, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-passes-ray-allen-2nd-most-3s-nba-history">Harden has found himself at number two</a> in the all-time three-pointers made rankings, just behind Stephen Curry.</p><p>He may not be as offensively malleable as Curry is, but Harden, as he has declared in the past, is an offensive system unto himself. He is such a deadly one-on-one scorer thanks to his marksmanship from beyond the arc, and he has made a career out of making his team better just by being on the floor. And the Clippers are benefitting immensely, as they have won 12 of their first 20 games this season despite not having Kawhi Leonard just yet.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Clippers’ James Harden passes Stephen Curry in NBA history with latest bonkers feat

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-harden-gets-real-after-43-point-explosion-vs-wizards');   ga('set', 'title', 'Clippers’ James Harden gets real after 43-point explosion vs. Wizards');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/James-Harden-Los-Angeles-Clippers-Jordan-Poole-Washington-Wizards.jpg"></figure><h1>Clippers’ James Harden gets real after 43-point explosion vs. Wizards</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-27T20:36:44-08:00">November 27th, 8:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-27T21:12:57-08:00">November 27th, 9:12pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his off time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Clippers bounced back <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-reacts-to-loss-against-historic-shooting-celtics">from their loss</a> against the Boston Celtics with a win against the Washington Wizards thanks in large part to James Harden.</p><p>Following their a blowout loss against Boston which saw them drain an NBA record 12 three-pointers in the second quarter, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-breaks-kobe-bryant-record-spectacular-start-wizards">Clippers defeated the Wizards</a> 121-96 on Wednesday night.</p><h2><b>James Harden reacts to season-high 43 points vs. Wizards</b></h2><p>The Clippers eviscerated the Wizards on Thanksgiving Eve, with James Harden recording 43 points on 13-of-22 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. Harden also finished with four rebounds, seven assists, and three steals while going 10-of-11 from the free throw line.</p><p>Ivica Zubac also posted a dominant line of 18 points and 16 rebounds on 9-of-11 shooting in the win, but all eyes were on Harden and his big performance.</p><p>“I was just being aggressive,” Harden said after the win. “Being aggressive and good things happen.”</p><p>Harden’s 43 point game was a season-high in scoring and the 102nd 40-point game of his NBA career. It was also the 68th game of Harden’s career with at least 40 points and seven assists, which is the second most 40-point, seven-assist games all time trailing only Oscar Robertson’s 72.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/James-Harden-dribbles-against-Bub-Carrington-during-the-Clippers-Wizards-game.jpg"><figcaption>Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Now 20 games in, the Clippers are a quarter of the way through the NBA season. They’ve been <a href="https://x.com/flybyknite/status/1861955077420073152?s=46">tied for the third toughest schedule</a> in the league, have not had Kawhi Leonard for any of them, and have a 12-8 record.</p><p>It’s hard to find many people outside of the Clippers’ locker room who predicted this kind of start. But James Harden says there are still ways for them to improve.</p><p>“We have to continue to find ways to win,” Harden added. “I think defensively, we can still get a lot better. Sometimes we get a little too comfortable, but we’re good enough, especially defensively, to where we can still be in games. It’s offensively making sure we can know what we’re trying to get to offensively, then consistently running, and being efficient at it. But for the most part, we’ve done a good job. I feel like every team feels this way, but there’s a couple games we wish we could take back and win, but that’s what the long season is for, so just continue to get better as a unit.”</p><p>Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue agreed with Harden’s sentiments, naming three things he believed the Clippers have to continue to focus on after a quarter of the season is over.</p><p>“Keep improving on what we talked about coming into camp,” Lue added. “Taking care of the basketball is one. Getting back in transition is two. And then three, controlling the glass, making sure we don’t give up a lot of offensive rebounds. So just continue to keep harping on those same three things, continue to keep getting better with that, and go from there.”</p><p>The Clippers finish their four-game road trip on Friday night in Minnesota against the Timberwolves. The Wolves are on a four-game losing streak and the Clippers will look to push it to five.</p><p>After that game, the Clippers return home for a four-game homestand after the trip.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Clippers’ James Harden gets real after 43-point explosion vs. Wizards

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-harden-breaks-kobe-bryant-record-spectacular-start-wizards');   ga('set', 'title', 'James Harden breaks Kobe Bryant’s record after spectacular start vs. Wizards');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/IMG_1039.jpeg"></figure><h1>James Harden breaks Kobe Bryant’s record after spectacular start vs. Wizards</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-27T18:54:00-08:00">November 27th, 6:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-27T18:54:00-08:00">November 27th, 6:54pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Amid <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-out-for-next-3-games-not-close-to-a-return">Kawhi Leonard’s absence due to injury</a>, the Los Angeles Clippers have relied heavily on James Harden this season. During the Clippers’ matchup against the Washington Wizards on Thanksgiving-eve, Harden <a href="https://x.com/StatMamba/status/1861943104011407572" rel="noopener">set a career milestone</a>, surpassing the late Kobe Bryant, as per StatMamba.</p><p>James Harden dropped 31 points during the first half of the Clippers’ 121-96 win against the Wizards, surpassing Kobe Bryant for the most 30+ point halves in NBA history. By halftime, he was shooting 73 percent from the field and 70 percent from the three-point line. 23 of those 31 points came in the first half as the Clippers got off to a strong start.</p><p>Harden finished the game with 43 points, four rebounds, seven assists and three steals. He shot 13-of-22 from the field, 7-of-11 from the three-point line and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line. Behind Harden’s masterclass, the Clippers improved to 12-8 while the Wizards fell to 2-15.</p><p>Harden is in his second season with the Clippers after being acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers early in the 2023-24 season. Harden re-signed with the Clippers in free agency during the offseason on a tw0-year, $70 million contract.</p><p>With Leonard sidelined indefinitely, the Clippers have used Harden’s play combined with a stifling defense to stay afloat and be a competitive team.</p><p>Coming into Wednesday’s game against Washington, Harden had appeared in all 19 games for the Clippers to that point at a little over 34 minutes per game. He had been averaging 20.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.5 steals with splits of 37.2 percent shooting from the field, 32 percent shooting from the field and 88.8 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>Although Harden’s shooting efficiency is low, the stats don’t tell the entire story. His presence on the court and defensive attention he draws has opened things up for his teammates. The 16-year veteran has handled point guard duties for the Clippers and has done a solid job.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

James Harden breaks Kobe Bryant’s record after spectacular start vs. Wizards

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-harden-1st-quarter-stat-wizards');   ga('set', 'title', 'Clippers’ James Harden goes viral after eye-popping 1st quarter stat line vs. Wizards');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/James-Harden-goes-viral-after-eye-popping-1st-quarter-stat-line-vs.-Wizards.jpg"></figure><h1>Clippers’ James Harden goes viral after eye-popping 1st quarter stat line vs. Wizards</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-27T17:20:07-08:00">November 27th, 5:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-27T17:20:07-08:00">November 27th, 5:20pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The shorthanded <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-drops-happy-truth-bomb-after-la-embarrasses-76ers">Los Angeles Clippers have been a pleasant surprise</a> this NBA season. Despite playing without Kawhi Leonard, who is rehabbing a knee injury, James Harden and company have jumped out to an 11-8 record and are firmly in the playoff picture in the loaded Western Conference.</p><p>The Clippers are seeking yet another win on Wednesday night on the road against the Washington Wizards, and Harden is having one of his best nights of the season. The <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1861931857220374662" rel="noopener">longtime superstar went off</a> in the first quarter, pouring in 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting and 5-for-7 from 3-point range over the opening 12 minutes.</p><p>As Harden continued to light up the nation’s capital, <a href="https://x.com/babybeetroot/status/1861933383699370193" rel="noopener">fans all over social media</a> were going crazy and having <a href="https://x.com/Obolatcan24/status/1861932307013357959" rel="noopener">flashbacks to his prime</a>.</p><p>“Harden came out like it was 2018 all over again 🤯🔥 23 points in the 1st? Vintage is an understatement!” one fan posted on X, formerly Twitter. Another fan wrote, “James Harden is having an elite age 35 season, don’t even care for the shooting percentages.”</p><p>Harden looked just like his old self during the heater, knocking down five triples including <a href="https://x.com/LAClippers/status/1861932837710045334" rel="noopener">a couple of vintage stepbacks</a> that will take fans back to his days with the Rockets.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🚨 THIS IS NOT A DRILL 🚨</p><p>JAMES HARDEN HIT FIVE THREES IN THE FIRST QUARTER! <a href="https://t.co/nx4fNrqlay">pic.twitter.com/nx4fNrqlay</a></p><p>— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) <a href="https://twitter.com/LAClippers/status/1861932837710045334?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Harden would add eight more points in the second quarter to make it a 31 point half, which is the most points that he has scored in a half since he left the Rockets. Harden’s highest-scoring 24 minutes in four years have given the Clippers a 61-44 lead heading into the break.</p><p>Harden has raise the floor of this Clippers squad, which doesn’t have quite the same talent as some of the other teams in the Western Conference. Until Leonard is able to return, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-norman-powell-reacts-to-scorching-start-to-season">Clippers are relying on Norman Powell</a> and Ivica Zubac to do a lot more scoring than they are used to, but it’s working.</p><p>It’s currently unclear <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-out-for-next-3-games-not-close-to-a-return">when Leonard may be able to return</a>, but this version of Harden paired with one of the best two-way wings in the league is a scary proposition for the rest of the NBA. If the Clippers can hang around in the standings until Leonard comes back, he and Harden could be a dangerous duo come playoff time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Clippers’ James Harden goes viral after eye-popping 1st quarter stat line vs. Wizards

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-harden-reacts-to-loss-against-historic-shooting-celtics');   ga('set', 'title', 'James Harden reacts to Clippers loss against historic shooting Celtics');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/James-Harden-Los-Angeles-Clippers-Jayson-Tatum-Jaylen-Brown-Boston-celtics.jpg"></figure><h1>James Harden reacts to Clippers loss against historic shooting Celtics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-26T15:47:32-08:00">November 26th, 3:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-26T16:05:10-08:00">November 26th, 4:05pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his off time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers were <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-reacts-to-paul-pierces-comments-about-him">blown out of Beantown</a> by the Boston Celtics on Monday night, 126-94. The contest wasn’t much of a competition after the midway point of the second quarter, with the Celtics going up by as many as 32 points and at by least 15 points for the final 30 minutes of play.</p><p>Following the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-drops-happy-truth-bomb-after-la-embarrasses-76ers">second game of a back-to-back</a> set, Harden chalked it up to it being just one of those games.</p><h2><b>James Harden reacts to Clippers loss against Celtics</b></h2><p>James Harden finished Monday’s game with a near triple-double consisting of 19 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists in 30 minutes of play. Ivica Zubac added 23 points and 10 rebounds for a Clippers team that was throrrled by insane three-point shooting.</p><p>“They got shooters.” <a href="https://x.com/LawMurrayTheNU/status/1861275067260326350" rel="noopener">Harden said</a>. “It’s obviously the defending champs,”We’re coming off a back-to-back. They’re a great team, we didn’t really have time to game-plan. They hit us in the mouth and it was one of those games.</p><p>“We weren’t getting stops. We still had opportunities, but we didn’t get stops. We had an okay start, and then in the second quarter, they kind of blitzed us.”</p><p>The Celtics led 27-20 after one quarter of play in which the Clippers competed admirably.</p><p>Boston proceeded to shoot 12-of-17 from three in the second quarter, setting a new franchise record and tying an NBA record for three-pointers in a single quarter. As a team, the Celtics shot 17-of-24 from the field as they went on to outscore the Clippers 51-29 in the period.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Clippers-James-Harden.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“The Celtics are one of the best offenses we have in this league, if not the best,” Harden added. “They shoot a lot of threes, they make you huddle your man, they get layups, and for us, we had some good stints, so just watch film, get better, and keep chipping away.”</p><p>Through the first month of the season, James Harden has seen a considerable amount of double-teams as opponents look to take the ball out of his hands more. Through 19 games, Harden has an assist percentage of 39.7 percent, which is higher than guys like LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, and Giannis Antetokounmpo while trailing only LeBron James, Chris Paul, Nikola Jokic, and Trae Young.</p><p>“Teams are guarding me a little different in the sense of like trying to put two on the ball, trying to show bodies, and things like that. So me, when I want to be aggressive, for the most part having my head up so when opportunities like that present itself, I can make the pass whether there’s a cutter or a guy ready to shoot the three. It’s possession by possession for me.</p><p>“I’ve always been comfortable in that role. Tonight was just a messed up game, but overall, I think we’re in a good space. And as far as me communicating and showing my leadership, we’ve got a lot of guys that are on the same page and I think that’s what’s helping our success.”</p><p>Without Kawhi Leonard for the foreseeable future, the Clippers will continue relying on James Harden to lead them offensively. The good news is that, following a four-game absence due to a hamstring strain, scoring guard Norman Powell has been upgraded to questionable for the Clippers’ contest against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.</p><p>Should he be cleared to return, the Clippers get back a guy averaging 23.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 49 percent shooting from the field and 48.7 percent from three.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

James Harden reacts to Clippers loss against historic shooting Celtics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-harden-reacts-to-paul-pierces-comments-about-him');   ga('set', 'title', 'Clippers’ James Harden reacts to Paul Pierce’s comments about him');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/James-Harden-Los-Angeles-Clippers-Stephen-Curry-Golden-State-Warriors-Paul-Pierce-Boston-Celtics.jpg"></figure><h1>Clippers’ James Harden reacts to Paul Pierce’s comments about him</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-25T14:01:17-08:00">November 25th, 2:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-25T14:01:46-08:00">November 25th, 2:01pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his off time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday evening, giving the Clippers their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-drops-happy-truth-bomb-after-la-embarrasses-76ers">fifth victory in a row</a>. The 2018 MVP has been performing at a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-reveals-what-steph-curry-told-him-in-history-making-hug">high level this season</a>, which recently sparked a lot of praise from former NBA star Paul Pierce.</p><p>Pierce, who led the Boston Celtics to the 2008 NBA Championship and was a member of the Clippers from 2015 to 2017, made the comments about Harden and they’ve since gone viral.</p><h2><b>James Harden responds to Paul Pierce’s comments</b></h2><p>Paul Pierce recently hosted an episode on Kevin Garnett’s show, “KG Certified,” where the former NBA Finals MVP led an interesting and controversial topic regarding today’s NBA. Alongside Los Angeles Lakers champion and former James Harden teammate Trevor Ariza, the two compared Kobe Bryant’s scoring style against Harden’s.</p><p>“[Kobe Bryant and Harden] are all game manipulators, but the way James manipulated the game, it was like it started something completely different,” Ariza said. “Not different, but he like tweaked a whole lot of different people’s thoughts.</p><p>“James learned how to manipulate the game. The rules changed because of the way he scored. The things that he did, [they changed it]. They switched it up. I just feel like in the way James plays, he’s more of a showman. Bean was more of a villian so I mean, I don’t want to do that, but he’s going to try to rip tour throat out. James was more ah, ah, ah, he’s gonna pull out tricks from his bag.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Clippers-guard-James-Harden-dribbles-against-Magic-guard-Kentavious-Caldwell-Pope.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Paul Pierce <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8cq0ydc_FQ">took a different approach</a> to Harden’s impact.</p><p>“Everybody talks about and says the reason [the NBA is played the way it is today] is Curry, but I think a lot of the reason we play like this is James Harden,” Pierce explained. “It’s just like, everybody’s shooting step-back threes, everybody going into their bag and getting to their three. That’s James Harden, that’s not Steph Curry.”</p><p>Following the Clippers win over the Sacramento Kings this weekend, James Harden was asked about Paul Pierce’s comments claiming he’d changed the game.</p><p>“I don’t like to brag, I be very humble, but like, yeah, y’all see it,” <a href="https://x.com/Farbod_E/status/1860213658242154525">Harden said</a>. “Every kid is trying to do step-backs, even, I don’t want to talk about it. Anyways… I be chilling. I don’t like to brag, I don’t like to, you know what I mean? Because it’s evident. It’s right there. People are shooting step-backs. They’re dribble-dribble step-backs. From little kids to y’all favorite player so it is what it is.”</p><p>Pierce attended Inglewood High School from 1991 to 1994, the city where the Clippers’ all new Intuit Dome is now located. As Pierce ascended to NBA stardom, Harden was watching 23 miles east of Inglewood in Artesia, California.</p><p>“Paul was another L.A. guy who I watched,” Harden admitted. “My brother went to [Kansas University] the same time Paul went there, so I watched Paul a lot. And I’ve said it before, his step-back was really really great that time, so I appreciate him because that was somebody that I watch.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Who changed basketball more: James Harden or Stephen Curry?</p><p>“The way James manipulated the game, it started something completely different.”</p><p>The Truth Lounge with NBA Champion Trevor Ariza is now available: <a href="https://t.co/iQCDodYOAF">https://t.co/iQCDodYOAF</a> <a href="https://t.co/c1amSjyK9h">pic.twitter.com/c1amSjyK9h</a></p><p>— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) <a href="https://twitter.com/allthesmokeprod/status/1856863095777313204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>From 2017-2020, James Harden was a top-three finalist for MVP, averaging 32.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Over that four year span, Harden recorded 118 games of 35+ points, 71 games of 40+ points, 20 games of 50+ points, four games of 60+ points, and 37 triple-doubles while leading the Houston Rockets to the Conference Finals twice and within one game of the NBA Finals in 2017.</p><p>This season, Harden is averaging 20.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. The struggles have come with his efficiency, given he’s shooting just 36.7 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three.</p><p>At age 35, Harden’s efficiency is the biggest concern in his game, but he’s still proving to be lethal when matched with anyone one-on-one.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
22.0	6.5	8.1	0.6	1.5

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
22.0	6.5	8.1	0.6	1.5

James Harden news

James
Harden news