Coach Tyronn Lue said that Harden will play during Monday's preseason matchup against the Mavericks, but he will sit out of the club's final preseason game against the Kings on Thursday, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports.
Harden will suit up for the last time during the preseason Monday. The superstar is the Clippers' clear No. 2 option behind Kawhi Leonard (knee) with Paul George now in Philadelphia. However, Leonard has been known to miss regular-season games, and Harden will pick up the slack as the top option if, and when, Leonard is out.
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Clippers' James Harden: Hits for 14 in preseason win
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Harden scored 14 points (5-10 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 1-3 Ft) while adding five assists, three rebounds and a steal in 18 minutes during Friday's 101-99 preseason win over the Trail Blazers.
The 35-year-old guard continues to have his court time capped in the preseason, but Harden's per-minute contributions have been impressive. With Paul George now in Philly, Harden will have an even bigger role in the Clippers' offense, especially on the nights when Kawhi Leonard (knee) is unavailable. Harden failed to average at least 20 points a game last season for the first time since 2011-12, but shot volume alone should get him back to that level in 2024-25.
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Clippers' James Harden: Hot start in first preseason game
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Harden tallied 14 points (6-9 FG, 2-4 3Pt), four rebounds and two assists across 17 minutes in Tuesday's 115-106 preseason win over the Nets.
Harden was the team's top scorer despite logging only 17 minutes. As the Clippers adjust to life without Paul George, Harden will need to re-ignite some of the magic he showed earlier in his career to improve the team's chances for postseason play. Unlike other seasons, Harden was mostly injury-free during his first year with the team, but he also recorded his worst season averages in points and rebounds since 2010. If his usage increases as expected, Harden should be able to match and possibly exceed last year's results.
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Clippers' James Harden: Dishes eight dimes vs. Warriors
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Harden tallied 13 points (2-6 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 8-8 FT), eight assists, two rebounds and two steals across 17 minutes in Saturday's 91-90 preseason loss to the Warriors.
None of the Clippers' starters saw more than 20 minutes of playing time Saturday, but Harden managed to account for eight of Los Angeles' 21 assists and got to the line for a game-high eight free-throw attempts. Harden is expected to take on a larger role on offense following the departure of Paul George to Philadelphia, and the former could be the focal point if Kawhi Leonard (knee) were to miss the start of the regular season. Harden averaged 16.6 points per game in 2023-24, his lowest scoring output since 2010 as a member of the Thunder.
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Clippers' James Harden: Commits to Clips for two years
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Harden agreed Sunday with the Clippers on a two-year, $70 million contract, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Harden and the Clippers came to agreement on a new deal just minutes before NBA free agency officially began, though the contract won't become official until at least Saturday. In any case, the 34-year-old point guard is locked in for two more seasons with LA, coming off an inaugural season with the Clippers in which he averaged his fewest points per game (16.6) since 2010-11, but still posted strong marks in just about every other category (8.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks). With Paul George hitting the open market and not expected to return to the Clippers, Harden will likely shoulder more of the offensive load in 2024-25 alongside Kawhi Leonard (knee).
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Clippers' James Harden: Poor shooting in season-ending loss
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Harden finished with 16 points (5-16 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 6-7 FT), seven rebounds, 13 assists, one block and two steals over 43 minutes during Friday's 114-101 loss to Dallas in Game 6 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Harden was one of the players the Clippers needed to have step up with Kawhi Leonard (knee) sidelined, but the veteran guard didn't come through. He was particularly woeful in the final two games of the series, during which he went 7-for-28 from the field, including 1-for-13 from three-point range. He averaged 21.2 points and 8.0 assists per game in the series, but the numbers don't tell the whole story, as the Clippers needed -- and expected -- more out of him, but he couldn't deliver when called upon.
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Clippers' James Harden: Limited impact in Game 5 loss
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Harden amassed seven points (2-12 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds and seven assists over 33 minutes during Wednesday's 123-93 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Harden was a non-factor in the loss, a far cry from what he has been able to deliver thus far in the series. Both he and Paul George had off nights, much to the joy of Mavericks fans. The Clippers are now one loss away from elimination, a result that would leave the future of the current squad in some doubt. If they are to force a Game 7, Harden is going to need to rediscover his early-series form.
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Clippers' James Harden: All-around outing in Game 4 win
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Harden produced 33 points (12-17 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 5-5 FT), six rebounds, seven assists, one block and one steal in 40 minutes during Sunday's 116-111 victory over Dallas in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Harden stepped up alongside teammate Paul George to lift Los Angeles to a much-needed win in Game 4 to even the series at 2-2 entering Game 5. Harden posted a team-high-tying point total while connecting on a quartet of threes in a balanced showing. Harden reached the 30-point mark for the first time of the series, also logging his highest rebound total of the postseason thus far.
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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.
