After the Los Angeles Clippers grabbed their first win with James Harden in the lineup, the veteran guard said he's regaining his form.
"I'm getting real close," Harden said after the team's 106-100 victory over the Houston Rockets, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "I'm getting close to myself every game. I feel like I'm improving."
Harden recorded 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and a block in 34 minutes of action. He also completed a four-point play on a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer with six seconds left to break the tie.
VINTAGE JAMES HARDEN 4-POINT PLAY 😤 pic.twitter.com/MRLyWCLARm
— NBA TV (@NBATV) November 18, 2023
The Clippers acquired Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers in October, with the former MVP making his debut with the team earlier in November. In six games, he's averaging 16.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game.
The rest of the team's Big Three played well, with Kawhi Leonard finishing with a game-high 26 points and Paul George chipping in 23 points.
"I had the ball, I seen his guy kind of lagging a little bit, and I trusted him," Leonard said about passing to Harden for the game-winning shot, according to The Athletic's Law Murray. "He's one of the top 75 players this league has ever seen. And I gave him the ball, and he made the shot."
"I think it's just a great balance," said George, according to Youngmisuk. "Honestly, when we're going in spurts, and everybody makes an imprint on the game, it's tough to match up with us. And I think we showed that again, glimpses of what it looks like when we're connected, and we just got the job done."
The Clippers debuted a new rotation, swapping out Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup for Terance Mann and playing the newly-signed Daniel Theis as the backup center for Ivica Zubac.
"We just have to make sure that with the bench, we have the right rotations, the right minutes, and the right fit," said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, according to Murray. "But this is our first game trying to do it. We'll be able to build from this one. But it's better to build when you win than when you lose."
L.A. takes on the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.
