Clippers guard James Harden can still ‘score with the best of ’em’
The Los Angeles Clippers took a 1-0 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks thanks to a balanced team effort.
Star guard James Harden led the charge with 28 points, including of those points coming in the first half. Following the game, Harden spoke about his scoring ability at this stage of his career.
“I can score with the best of ’em,” Harden said via ESPN. “Still can score with the best of ’em. My role for this team is just generating really good shots and making guys’ jobs easier. And then when my number to score is called, then you score the basketball. Obviously, Kawhi is out, so my playmaking and my volume is going to go up a little bit more, and took advantage of it.”
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With Kawhi Leonard out, Harden made the most of the increased opportunity. He took command as the primary playmaker, which resulted in him impacting the game significantly with his scoring prowess.
It’s a factor that the Clippers have been able to depend on at times throughout the season since his arrival. Head coach Ty Lue further underlined the importance of having an offensive talent such as Harden.
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“A huge element,” Lue called Harden’s scoring for the team. “When he’s scoring the basketball and making the right play, it’s huge. He understands that he doesn’t have to do a lot of heavy lifting with Kawhi and PG both on the floor. But if one of those guys are out, he has to step up and be aggressive to score the basketball. That is what he has been doing for us of late. I thought he really set the tone early.”
The Clippers will continue to lean on Harden to provide that scoring spark to help guide them deep into the playoffs.
