James Harden seems to be back to his old self this season, as he’s been leading the charge in Los Angeles and producing vintage performances so far. This past Sunday evening, he hit the milestone to reach 3,000 career three-pointers in the Clippers’ 126-122 win over the Nuggets.
This means that the veteran has now joined Warriors icon Stephen Curry as the only NBA athletes to ever surpass this incredible stat, as he dropped in 3 threes in the first half and then the more in the second, leading his team with 39 points in total.
“Another one of those accomplishments that you never take for granted,” said Harden, who just missed a triple-double with 9 rebounds and 11 assists. “The amount of work that I’ve put in — countless days and nights where I put the work in — a lot of people don’t see it but the results happen, so I’m just thankful.”
VINTAGE JAMES HARDEN PERFORMANCE 🔥
39 PTS
11 AST
9 REB
6 3PMCOOKIN‼️ pic.twitter.com/8WBppdZwDU
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 2, 2024
James is coming from an incredible week, as he scored 43 points last Wednesday on the road against the Wizards, not only becoming his best-scoring display with the Clippers, but also his 100th career game of 40 or more points. “He had that first quarter against Washington where he reminded people, ‘Hey, I can still go out here and drop 40 on you real quick,'” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.
The LA club are now 13-9 this season, with the 35-year-old having to take on an incredible offensive responsibility with Kawhi Leonard still out due to injury. After the game, rival coach Michael Malone noted the guard’s maturity this campaign.
“He makes almost every key decision for their offense,” said Denver’s tactician. “He can beat you with his playmaking as well, and that shows you the talent, that shows you the quality of his game, where he’s not solely the scorer.”
Harden has also taken on the task of mentoring the squad’s younger prospects. “It’s easy for me just because I’ve been in this situation for a lot of my NBA career. Just helping guys as much as I can to where it makes the game a lot easier for them,” he assured. “It’s really fun.”
His Clippers teammates explained why they are loving to play alongside Harden this season and praise his past couple of performances
Teammate Norman Powell explained the locker room is enamoured with the way The Beard has been leading the team lately, saying that they love to play with him as a playmaker because they know exactly when they will receive the ball from him.
“It’s difficult to see from afar,” the Clippers guard said. “But on the floor knowing when to attack, knowing when to get his shot off, when to get the guys open, the pass that he makes. He knows how to get guys open and to get the most out of the team.”
The veteran guard was fundamental for LA’s success this Sunday, playing 38 minutes in total and competing in the entirety of the second half. His coach Tyronn Lue shined a light on how the star was able to adjust to his needs during the contest.
“He was a little rusty, as far as when he got in the paint on his layups and attacking,” Lue explained. “But I thought his three-point [shooting] was really good, and I thought as the game went along, he kind of found his rhythm and got going. He was huge for us.”
