The Denver Nuggets just destroyed the Los Angeles Clippers 113-104 at their own home. What made the loss worse was the fact that Denver was missing three of their key players, Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, and Aaron Gordan.
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As for the Clippers, they sported their best lineup yet, with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook, all playing significant minutes. Harden had another poor performance, scoring just 11 points on 7 shot attempts. Even though he was somewhat efficient, the Beard just didn’t take enough shots.
Westbrook came off the bench to score 14 points while playing 10 fewer minutes than JH. Harden also turned the ball over three times during the game, contributing to the Clippers’ 13 turnovers for the night.
After the game, a fan on Twitter called out James Harden for his passive playing style, captioning the post, “James Harden has gotta be more aggressive. This ain’t it.”
The point that the fan was trying to make is valid. James Harden is an elite scoring guard and is capable of both shooting the rock efficiently and distributing the ball.
Playing alongside players like Kawhi and George, Harden should have enough space and time to play his own game, while also distributing the ball. While he did pass the ball during yesterday’s game, he only had four assists because the Clippers failed to convert efficiently. It was at that time that the 2018 MVP should have assumed his responsibility as the team’s shot-maker.
Many have also suggested benching Harden, and starting Russ. Though the idea may work, Russell is a liability on the shooting end. Therefore. the better option for the Clippers will be a more aggressive Harden, as the fan pointed out.
Russell Westbrook and Ty Lue react to the loss
After the game, Clippers head coach Ty Lue was asked about the game. Taking responsibility for the embarrassing loss, Coach Lue said, “I thought we were nasty offensively, too slow, too methodical. I take full responsibility for offensive and defensively as well.”
But it wasn’t just Coach Lue who felt like the loss was a one-off mistake. Talking about the loss, Russell Westbrook told the media, “Like I said, it’s going to be a process.”
But as for the game, it looked like the matchup was personal for a few of Denver’s players. The Clippers received most of their damages from Reggie Jackson and DeAndre Jordan. Both ex-Clippers were fired up, as Jackson led all scorers with 35 points on the night. With the recent win, Denver holds onto its 3rd place on the Western Conference table, as the Clippers slip to the 11th spot.
