A Crushing Victory by 59 Points! Harden Achieves 21+6+11+2 Scoring Milestone! Leonard Warms Up, Powell Dominates the Nets
Today, the Clippers hosted the Nets at home, with the Clippers starting lineup featuring Jones, Leonard, Zubac, Powell, and Harden; while the Nets started with Zha Wei, Kloni, Claxton, Johnson, and Martin!
In the first quarter, after both teams initially focused on the interior game to tie at 4-4, the Clippers began to exert themselves on both offense and defense with a 9-3 run, leading to a timeout after Harden completed a 2+1. Upon resuming play, Harden hit a three-pointer and then stole the ball for a behind-the-back assist to Xiaoqiong's alley-oop dunk, forcing another Nets timeout. After the timeout, Harden hit another three-pointer to surpass Wilkins, but the Clippers fell into a scoring drought at the end of the quarter, ending the first quarter tied at 21.
In the second quarter, during the rotation phase, Leonard replaced Harden to lead the team, his offensive form warming up as he continuously scored through mid-range shots or free throws. After falling behind 27-29, the Clippers went on a 5-point run to pull ahead, prompting a Nets timeout. However, the timeout had little effect as Harden returned and led the Clippers on a 20-8 run to extend their lead to as much as 16 points. Claxton's layup finally stopped the bleeding. But Powell's three-pointer and Harden's layup further extended the lead. The Nets relied on free throws for points, and before halftime, Harden assisted Coffey's dunk, giving the Clippers a 58-35 lead heading into the third quarter.
In the third quarter, Powell opened with an 8-point burst that forced a Nets timeout. However, upon resuming play, Powell and Harden continued to score for the Clippers. After Harden's 3+1, the Clippers went on a 17-0 run to lead by 40 points, and this was not the end. In the first half of the third quarter, the Clippers unleashed a terrifying offensive surge of 30-3 to lead by 50 points! Harden and Powell were subbed off, and Leonard continued playing, also scoring consecutively. After the Nets closed the gap to 47-96, Coach Lue called a timeout and subbed off Leonard, turning the game into garbage time. At the end of the third quarter, the Clippers led 102-51 by 51 points.
In the fourth quarter, both teams sent in their third-string lineups to clean up, with the Clippers even extending their lead to over 60 points at one point! Ultimately, the Clippers won at home with a crushing victory of 126-67, defeating the Nets by 59 points. Let's take a look at the specific performances of the players!
Harden Achieves 21+6+11 Scoring Milestone in a Crushing 59-Point Victory
Facing a Nets team that is tanking, Harden played with ease and joy. He hit two three-pointers in the first quarter to score 11 points. In the first half, he shot 9 for 5 (4 for 2 from three-point range), made all 3 free throws, scoring 15 points with 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals, with a +12 plus-minus rating.
In the third quarter, Harden scored 6 points and dished out 5 assists in a single quarter, leading the team to a super run that decided the game, then left early.
In this game, Harden only played 23 minutes, shooting 6 for 10, making 3 of 5 three-pointers, and all 6 free throws, easily scoring 21 points with 6 rebounds, 11 assists, and 2 steals, with a +36 plus-minus rating.
Adding today's 21 points, Harden's career scoring officially surpassed "The Human Highlight Film" Wilkins (26668), rising to 15th in history, with the next target being "The Big O" Robertson (26710).
Leonard's Form Warms Up
After returning, Leonard has been gradually finding his form, and today he played quite efficiently. In the first half, Leonard shot 4 for 7, missed his only three-pointer, made all 4 free throws, scoring 12 points with 1 rebound and 1 steal, with a +20 plus-minus rating.
In the third quarter, he scored 11 points in a single quarter and then also left early. In the entire game, Leonard only played 24 minutes, shooting 8 for 11, making all 7 free throws, steadily scoring a season-high 23 points with 2 rebounds and 1 steal, with a +46 plus-minus rating!
Powell Dominates the Nets
In the first half, Powell was lukewarm, scoring only 8 points, but in the third quarter, he started with an 8-point burst that forced a Nets timeout, opening the curtain on the Clippers' terrifying offensive surge, scoring 10 points in the quarter.
In the entire game, Powell only played 22 minutes, shooting 7 for 10, making 3 of 4 three-pointers, and 1 of 2 free throws, contributing 18 points with 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 3 steals, with the highest plus-minus rating of +47!