Los Angeles Clippers: James Harden Makes Bold Statement After Solid 13-Point Win vs Portland

According to Sports Illustrated’s Joey Linn, the Clippers’ win against the Blazers was important in bringing back some much-needed confidence to a squad that was on a mini-skid late in the season:

Speaking on the broadcast after the game, Clippers star James Harden said, “This was a swag game for us. Get our rhythm back, get our swag, and find our identity again.”

Recognizing that the Clippers have gotten away from much of what made them great earlier in the year, Harden feels this game against the Blazers is somewhat of a get right game for them. While Portland is one of the worst teams in basketball, the Clippers still took care of business, and will look to do so again in the rematch on Friday.

Harden was a solid contributor as the floor general, finishing the game with 19 points, four rebounds, and 14 assists. This stat line is consistent with his season averages of 17.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 8.3 APG.

Will Harden finally win his first ring with the Clippers?

Fans who only look at the stats will say that Harden has fallen off a bit. The last time Harden scored less than 20 points a game was during his final year with the Oklahoma City Thunder. That team, where a young Harden deferred to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as the third option, managed to reach the NBA Finals.

While they did fall short of the title to LeBron James and the Miami Heat that year, it was the launchpad to the incredible career Harden has enjoyed so far.

He’s now back in that situation but with much more mileage and experience. Moreover, he has experienced costars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. The team is also playing some of the best basketball in the NBA.

This is the best chance for Harden to win his championship ring, and you can be sure that he’ll do everything to make that happen.