Clippers' James Harden: Nears 30 points as top scorer
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Harden recorded 28 points (8-17 FG, 6-11 3Pt, 6-6 FT), two rebounds, eight assists and two blocks over 39 minutes during Sunday's 109-97 victory over the Mavericks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Harden returned for the start of the postseason after missing the Clippers' regular-season finale with a right foot inflammation and went on to lead all players in threes made and assists in a near-30-point double-double in a winning effort. Harden posted at least 28 points in six games during the regular season, adding eight or more assists in each of those outings. Sunday marked his fifth game of the year, both regular season and postseason, with six or more threes made.
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Clippers' James Harden: Recovered from injury
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Coach Tyronn Lue said Tuesday that Harden (foot) is "good to go", Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Harden missed the Clippers' regular-season finale with a right foot inflammation but should be available for Sunday's Game 1 against the Mavericks. The star guard will likely reclaim his starting spot from Xavier Moon.
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Clippers' James Harden: Out for regular-season finale
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Harden (foot) will not play in Sunday's regular-season finale versus the Rockets, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports.
The Clippers are opting to sit most their starters ahead of playoff competition, which will result in Xavier Moon and Terance Mann starting in Los Angeles' backcourt. Harden will have time to get his health back up to par ahead of the team's Round 1 matchup.
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Clippers' James Harden: Questionable for Sunday
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Harden is questionable for Sunday's game against the Rockets due to right foot inflammation.
The Clippers already know they'll face the Mavericks in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, so they could very well sit Harden to avoid any further injuries ahead of the postseason. If Harden doesn't play, then Russell Westbrook could have a larger role in the backcourt.
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Clippers' James Harden: Limited time in return from injury
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Harden logged four points (1-4 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-3 FT) and five assists over 10 minutes during Friday's 110-109 loss to the Jazz.
Harden returned Friday from a two-game absence due to a foot injury, playing a limited role along with other Clippers starters as the postseason approaches. Harden led all starters with a handful of assists while adding a quartet of points over just 10 minutes of action. Los Angeles wraps up the regular season Sunday, and it's likely we see Harden play a limited role again, if he plays at all.
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Clippers' James Harden: Will play Friday
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Harden (foot) will play against the Jazz on Friday, Mark Medina of NBA.com reports.
Harden will be returning from a two-game absence, and there's no word of any restrictions. With Kawhi Leonard (knee) still sidelined, Harden could see a boost in usage rate.
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Clippers' James Harden: Present at shootaround
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Harden (foot) was seen at shootaround ahead of Friday's game versus the Jazz, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Harden is officially listed as questionable for Friday's contest due to right foot inflammation that caused him to miss the Clippers' last two contests. However, the star guard's presence at practice is a good sign of his availability against Utah.
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Clippers' James Harden: Listed as questionable for Friday
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Harden (foot) is questionable for Friday's game against the Jazz.
Harden missed Wednesday's loss against the Suns due to right foot inflammation, but it seems he might be back just in time to feature in the final two games of the regular season, knowing a win Friday would lock the Clippers into the fourth seed of the Western Conference. Harden has averaged 13.2 points, 9.5 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game over his last 10 appearances.
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Clippers' James Harden: Remains out for Wednesday's game
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Harden (foot) won't play in Wednesday's game versus the Suns, Shane Young of Forbes.com reports.
Harden will miss both legs of the Clippers' back-to-backs against the Suns due to right foot inflammation. With Russell Westbrook (hand) questionable, Bones Hyland and Xavier Moon could receive increased playing time. Harden's next chance to suit up is Friday's matchup with Utah.
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Clippers' James Harden: Ruled out against Phoenix
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Harden (foot) won't play against the Suns on Tuesday, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.
Harden will sit for the first time in April, but his absence doesn't come as a major surprise after he wasn't on the court earlier Tuesday for morning shootaround. Russell Westbrook will start at point guard in Harden's place, and he and Paul George are likely to see significant usage rate spikes with Kawhi Leonard (knee) also sidelined.
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Clippers' James Harden: Sits out shootaround
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Harden (foot) was present but didn't participate in the Clippers' morning shootaround ahead of Tuesday's game against the Suns, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports. He's officially considered questionable, per Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com.
Harden has dealt with right foot soreness over the last week but hasn't missed a contest since a two-game absence in mid-March due to a shoulder injury, though he did sit out the entire fourth quarter of Sunday's comeback win over the Cavaliers. Over his past three appearances, Harden has averaged 18.3 points, 9.3 assists and 7.0 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game. If he joins Kawhi Leonard (knee) on the sidelines, Paul George should be the Clippers' go-to offensive option, while Terance Mann, Norman Powell and Amir Coffey would be candidates for extra usage as well.
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Clippers' James Harden: Scores 22 points vs. Cavs
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Harden chipped in 22 points (6-11 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 6-6 FT), five rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes during Sunday's 120-118 win over Cleveland.
Harden managed to suit up for Sunday's game after being listed as questionable due to right foot soreness. He was second in the scoring column for the Clippers behind Paul George, and the former's four three-point makes marked the first time he's reached that feat since March 20 against the Trail Blazers. Harden has scored 20-plus points in two of his last three games after failing to reach that mark in his 12 prior appearances. He's averaging 14.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 9.4 assists over 34.5 minutes per game since March 1.
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Clippers' James Harden: Officially available Sunday
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Harden (foot) has been cleared to play in Sunday's game versus Cleveland, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Harden will take his typical place in the starting lineup, with Terance Mann, Paul George, P.J. Tucker and Ivica Zubac flanking him Sunday. Harden has averaged 13.0 points, 10.3 assists and 7.0 rebounds in 34.0 minutes per game across his last three appearances.
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Clippers' James Harden: Warming up, on track to play
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Harden (foot), who is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Cleveland, is taking part in pregame warmups and appears likely to play, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports.
The Clippers likely won't officially clear Harden until they release their starting lineup approximately 30 minutes before the 3:30 p.m. ET opening tip. Assuming Harden is cleared to play, he shouldn't operate under any major minutes restriction.
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Clippers' James Harden: Downgraded to questionable
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Harden is questionable for Sunday's game versus Cleveland due to right foot soreness, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Harden has suited up in 11 straight contests for the Clippers, logging no fewer than 31 minutes in any appearance over that span, but his status is in jeopardy for Sunday's game. Russell Westbrook, Terance Mann, Norman Powell and Amir Coffey would likely have enlarged workloads if Harden can't play.
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Clippers' James Harden: Posts triple-double in blowout
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Harden had 13 points (4-10 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 10 rebounds and 15 assists across 33 minutes during Friday's 131-102 win over the Jazz.
Harden has had an excellent run during Kawhi Leonard's (knee) absence, providing elite ancillary numbers across the board. Although his result beyond the arc was atypical, he made solid contributions in secondary categories to earn his third triple-double of the season. Over three games without Leonard, Harden has averaged 13.0 points, 10.3 assists and 7.0 rebounds.
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Clippers' James Harden: Spurs rally in second quarter
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Harden closed with 20 points (6-23 FG, 2-13 3Pt, 6-7 FT), six rebounds, eight assists and one steal across 38 minutes during Thursday's 102-100 win over the Nuggets.
The Clippers were down by 17 points in the first quarter, but Harden was able to erase Denver's lead with 14 points in the second quarter. In an otherwise subpar shooting night for Harden, he supplied eight assists and six rebounds to offset his poor evening beyond the arc.
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Clippers' James Harden: Smothered by defense in loss
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Harden accumulated six points (1-7 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, eight assists and one steal across 31 minutes during Tuesday's 109-95 loss to the Kings.
Harden can be easy to read due to his propensity to drive left with the ball, and the Kings didn't allow him to go that direction. They effectively stifled Harden at every turn, and although the Clippers had more success with Russell Westbrook, the backcourt was largely kept in check. The Clippers have the advantage of three consecutive home games coming up, and hopefully, Harden will bounce back from his poor outing.
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Clippers' James Harden: Struggles from field Friday
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Harden contributed 11 points (3-12 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 4-5 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and four steals across 37 minutes during Friday's 100-97 victory over the Magic.
Harden didn't have a good performance Friday, finishing with more field goal attempts than points scored, though his eight rebounds and four steals salvaged his fantasy stat line a bit. Harden also registered his lowest tally in the assists department since Feb. 22, when he dished out just two dimes in a loss to the Thunder. He's averaging 15.3 points, 9.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game since the beginning of March.
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Clippers' James Harden: Double-double against former club
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Harden ended Wednesday's 108-107 win over the 76ers with 16 points (6-15 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, 14 assists, one block and two steals over 39 minutes.
A few nights after losing to the Sixers in Los Angeles, Harden got some revenge against his former team in Philly. It was the 22nd double-double of the season for the 34-year-old guard, and through 13 games in March, Harden has averaged 15.6 points, 9.9 assists, 4.8 boards, 2.4 threes, 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals.
