James Harden cashing in on a signature four-point play in the opening minutes Saturday in Charlotte was a sign of things to come for the 11-time All-Star in the Los Angeles Clippers’ 131-116 win over the Hornets.
During the first frame, Harden poured in 27 points, tied for the most any Clippers player has ever scored in a single quarter, while knocking down five 3-pointers. By intermission, the one-time league MVP had 35 points, the most a player has recorded in a single half this season.
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Harden finished with a season-high 55 points, setting a new single-game Clippers record. The 36-year-old scored at all three levels, however, his perimeter marksmanship stood out. He went 10-of-16 from beyond the arc in the home state of fellow Clippers guard Chris Paul, who reportedly will be retiring at the end of the season, his 21st in the NBA.
Hours before the game, Paul posted on social media.
“What a ride…Still so much left…GRATEFUL for this last one!!” Paul wrote on Instagram below a video filled with highlights and set to a remix of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”
Harden’s outburst delivered the Clippers just their second win since Nov. 3, when Kawhi Leonard suffered a sprained right ankle that’s kept him out the past 11 games.
But the Clippers expect Leonard to return Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
This story is being updated.
