After becoming 2nd all-time in 3-pointers made back on November 17th against Utah, Los Angeles Clippers superstar James Harden hit another accomplishment just two weeks later.
During a 126-122 victory over Denver on Sunday night, Harden hit three 3s in the first half and knocked down three more in the second half helping him become only the second player to make 3,000 3-pointers. This accomplishment puts him once again behind the four-time champion Steph Curry of the Warriors.
“Another one of those accomplishments that you never take for granted,” Harden said after just missing his second triple-double of the season with 39 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds. “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.”
James Harden Doing It All For Los Angeles Clippers
LA is currently 13-9 and is sixth in the Western Conference, and a huge part of it is because of the 35-year-old Harden, who is averaging 22.3 ppg, 7.2 reb, and 8.9 ast on the season.
The achievement finished off an epic week for the guard. He scored 43 points, his most as a Clipper (since coming over from Philly) in a road win over Washington last Wednesday, and it was his 100th career game of 40 points or more. He joined Hall-of-Famers Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, and the late great Kobe Bryant as the only players to achieve this milestone.
Without Kawhi Leonard yet to play for LA, Harden has been tasked with carrying a greater offensive load with former Clipper Paul George leaving as a free agent in the offseason, and he has responded.
He is also the unquestioned leader of the team this season and has led by example on and off the court. He describes his role as a leader and what is required of him by head coach Ty Lue as “very, very comfortable.”
“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 said. “It’s really fun.”
Starting shooting guard Norman Powell, who returned after missing the last six games with a hamstring injury, scored 28 points, and spoke highly of Harden after the Nuggets victory.
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“It’s difficult to see from afar,” he 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.”
So it’s easy to say Harden is doing it all for the Los Angeles Clippers early in the season, and they have needed all of it from the 35-year-old who has yet to miss a game this season.
Chrys Henderson is a writer for LAFB. You can follow him on X @ChrysNBA.