Clippers' fourth-quarter collapse spoils James Harden's debut

Harden made a three-pointer near the end of the third quarter that gave the Clippers a 76-73 lead, but that would be L.A.'s last lead of the game. Immanuel Quickley tied the game with his own three, and the New York Knicks went on to outscore the Clippers, 35-21, on their way to a 111-97 win.

The Beard finished with 17 points on 6-for-9 shooting. He added six assists and a steal, making two of his four three-pointers. But he scored only three points in the final quarter, as his team was outscored by 16 points in the seven minutes and 35 seconds he was on the floor. Harden's only points came when he employed his signature more: Drawing a foul on a three-point attempt.

Head coach Tyronn Lue waved the white flag with 4:25 remaining and New York leading, 104-88, pulling all his starters from the game.

After the game, Harden blamed the loss on his lack of experience with the team. "Felt kind of weird out there, not really having a preseason game or an opportunity to participate in a full training camp, none of that," Harden told reporters, explaining that he was "winging it" during the game.

He pointedly shared the ball early, picking up three rebounds and two assists in the first quarter while not taking a single shot. Harden's first field goal attempt as a Clipper was blocked by Donte DiVincenzo, but 15 seconds later, Harden got his first points on a stepback jumper.

Harden went on to score nine points in the quarter on 4-for-5 shooting. But that was the most successful part of the game for a Clippers team that often looked very much like it was their first game with a new point guard. Paul George shot 2-for-11 with four turnovers. Center Ivica Zubac made all his shots but took only three of them, and turned the ball over five times. The one player who seemed most comfortable was Russell Westbrook, who matched Harden's 17 points and shot 8-for-13.

Besides the loss, Harden's night may have been spoiled by looking at how his old team did. The 76ers blew out the Washington Wizards, 142-126, with his old teammate Joel Embiid putting up 48 points — and matching Harden's six assists. Nic Batum, one of four Clippers traded to Philadelphia to get Harden, was +30 in his 17 minutes, making three three-pointers on the night.

Despite rumors that an unhappy Batum was considering retirement, he played well for the resurgent Sixers, who moved to 5-1 on the season, while the Clippers fell to 3-3.

Harden has another significant game this week when the Clippers visit his old team, the Brooklyn Nets, the second of three teams Harden forced his way off of in the last three years. Don't expect a warm reception at the Barclays Center for The Beard, especially if he's still winging it on Wednesday night.