In the Los Angeles Clippers’ 125-119 defeat to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, James Harden became the 20th player in NBA history to achieve 26,000 points in his career. Despite this milestone, Harden was more concerned about the Clippers’ tendency to give up leads, as they lost double-digit advantages in both games of a back-to-back.
Thursday’s game saw them with a lead of up to 21 points, following a wasted 10-point lead in their previous game against Portland the night before. Harden expressed his frustration, stating, “It’s definitely frustrating, just because we were up by double digits in both games.” He continued, “Last night, we didn’t play well and still had a double-digit lead. Tonight, we played well, especially in the first half and were up by 20-something. We just need to find ways to maintain our lead and continue playing our style of basketball.”
Harden joined an exclusive group when he made his second free throw with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter, achieving his first triple-double of the season and 78th of his career, tying with Wilt Chamberlain for seventh in NBA history. He ended the game with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists.
However, Harden also had six turnovers, including a fumble when the score was tied at 105 with 5:20 remaining. The Suns took advantage of this mistake, turning it into a 3-pointer from Booker and securing a lead they would not relinquish. Harden acknowledged his high usage rate, stating, “Turnovers are bound to happen.” He added, “But I need to do better controlling the unforced ones. However, I don’t think turnovers were the sole reason for our loss. Defensively, we lacked presence in the third quarter.” The Clippers’ three losses this season have been by a total of 10 points.
Harden sees these narrow defeats as a learning experience that will benefit them in the long run, especially with Kawhi Leonard still out due to a knee injury. He stated, “We just need to execute and win. The last two games were tough, but we will get there sooner rather than later.”
