INGLEWOOD, Calif. — James Harden continues to rack up points, recently becoming the 20th player in NBA history to achieve a career total of 26,000 points during the Los Angeles Clippers’ 125-119 defeat to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. Despite reaching this notable milestone, Harden expressed more concern about the defensive struggles his team has faced, particularly after giving up double-digit leads in both games during a back-to-back series. The Clippers saw a commanding lead of 21 points evaporate in Thursday’s game, following a previous loss to Portland where they squandered a 10-point advantage in a 106-105 outcome.
“It’s definitely frustrating, just ’cause we was up double digits in both games,” Harden noted. “Last night, we didn’t play well and still had a double-digit lead. Tonight, we performed well, especially in the first half, and were up by over 20. We need to figure out how to maintain those leads and keep playing our style of basketball.”
Harden reached his scoring milestone with a free throw 1:25 left in the fourth quarter. This performance also marked his first triple-double of the current season and the 78th of his career, putting him level with Wilt Chamberlain for seventh place in the annals of NBA history. He finished the contest with an impressive 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists. However, the game wasn’t without its mishaps; Harden recorded six turnovers, one of which proved particularly critical when he lost the ball with the score tied at 105 and just over five minutes remaining. Phoenix capitalized on this error with a three-pointer from Devin Booker, allowing them to seize control of the game.
“You’ve seen the usage rate I got, it’s going to happen,” Harden acknowledged. “Like, turnovers are going to occur. … I need to manage the unforced ones better. Yet, I don’t think turnovers were the sole reason we lost. Our defensive presence in the third quarter wasn’t there.”
The Clippers have found themselves on the losing end of three games this season, with these defeats being by a total of just 10 points. Harden remains optimistic, suggesting that these narrow losses could be advantageous as the season progresses, especially given the current absence of star player Kawhi Leonard due to a knee injury.
“We just need to find ways to execute and secure wins,” he stated. “The last two losses were tough, but I believe we’ll get it together before long.”