The Los Angeles Clippers are in Denver tonight for one of the biggest challenges they’ll face early in the season. Taking on the Nuggets for their In-Season Tournament game, James Harden and the Clippers finished the 1st half 52-60. Seeing how they were taking on the defending champions, the Clippers seemed to hold their own in the first 24 minutes.
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Coming into the game 0-4 during his Clippers tenure, Harden seemed determined to shake off his struggles during the game tonight. He went off for 11 points, 2 rebounds, and an assist while shooting 4 of 9 from the field. While the numbers aren’t too impressive, but there were some plays where Harden seemed to find his groove again.
During a timeout, Harden was spotted talking to Bones Hyland in a video uploaded by Tomer Azarly. He seemed to be reassuring his teammate about finding his groove again.
“I’m making shots. That’s my swagger. You feel me? I got to get back to the basics first, then I got to get my swagger… I’ll be alright though.”
James Harden and Bones Hyland during the Clippers timeout:
“I’m making shots. That’s my swagger. You feel me? I got to get back to the basics first, then I got to get my swagger… I’ll be alright though.”pic.twitter.com/J0V5iD17KR
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) November 15, 2023
With the way the Clippers showed their intent, this game already seems better than their previous four games. While taking down the defending champions at their home wouldn’t be easy, if the Clippers scale that mountain, they’d manage to silence a lot of naysayers.
James Harden Has Been Ostracized in the Media This Season
From the time James Harden demanded a trade out of Philly, the media has been on his case. We saw former players like Paul Pierce claim that this is Harden’s last year in the league. At the same time, Pierce’s co-host Kevin Garnett commented that Harden should be traded for a bag of Doritos.
After the trade, there is obviously an expected settlement period, especially when a team has a set system, and they add a star of Harden’s stature. However, the critics started rolling in from the first game itself. DeMarcus Cousins went as far as to call the situation in Los Angeles ‘Do or Die.‘
After seeing the 0-4 start, an ESPN analyst claimed that either Harden or Westbrook should be benched. At the same time, Gilbert Arenas pleaded Harden needs to stop being the point and accept the two-guard role. We’ll have to see how the comments change if the Clippers manage to hand the Nuggets their first loss at home this season.
