The Final night of the season brought everything. The Drama. The suspense. Sports at its finest! The Golden State Warriors were up against the LA Clippers in the game of the season. The stakes were pretty simple: win and secure a place in the playoffs, lose and drop to the play-in tournament. This clash between two heavyweights felt like game 7 of a playoff series. Stephen Curry and Co. gave it their all fighting against Kawhi Leonard, and James Harden led the Clippers team. The final result? After an intense matchup followed by an even more intense overtime, the Clippers came from behind, defeating the Warriors 124-119. In the end, Harden and Leonard were too hot to handle for Golden State.
Had the Clippers fallen on the night, they would’ve dropped to seventh, but thanks to James Harden, that isn’t the case. The Beard was in full swing in the season finale as he finished the night with 39 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. The Clippers All-Star ensured LA’s eighth straight win and an impressive 50-32 to wrap up the regular season. The emotions were running high after the game as the Clippers’ head coach, Tyronn Lue, made an emotional admission. “He’s our All-Star. All season long, being able to carry the load, being able to make guys better, being able to score the basketball.” Lue spoke highly of his point guard.
He further added how valuable Harden’s contributions were tonight. “And then tonight, like you said, playing the whole second half again, to bring us home. He likes to compete, he loves to play. But have 39 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds. You know, that just means that we needed every bit of it to get to this point. And he did it, he delivered, and he’s been doing it all season long. And so, like I said, I’m just glad we got James on our team.” The 47-year-old Clippers boss reflected on the importance of Harden’s presence not just against the Warriors but throughout the season. It has not been an easy ride for the Clippers this season; they’ve been hard-hit with injuries and have struggled massively.
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However, one man who has stood strong throughout the highs and lows is James Harden. The 35-year-old guard has just missed three games this season. Harden refused to even take rests during the time his teammates Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell were out due to injuries. He’s played with a chip on his shoulder and carried the team in the absence of the other stars. Harden has averaged 22.8 points along with 5.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game this season. Apart from these solid stats, he’s stepped up whenever the team has needed him, and now, with Kawhi back by his side, the Clippers look as threatening as ever. Speaking of which, The Klaw has also silenced his haters and had something to say after this massive win.
Kawhi Leonard had a special message for the people who doubted the Clippers
The LA Clippers are playoff-bound! A lot of people wouldn’t have believed this when the season started. After all the media talk and criticism about James Harden and Co. not having what it takes, the Clippers secured the 5th seed in a stacked Western Conference. Not bad for a team that was projected to not even make it this far and be the 12th seed. The Clippers have had a rollercoaster of a season. Firstly, they were left short-handed even before the season started, with Kawhi Leonard being injured. Then, Norman Powell stepped up and managed to keep the team competitive, but unfortunately, he got injured as well. But they still managed to stay afloat and make it through to the playoffs.
Thanks to James Harden and the rest of the team. Now, with Kawhi hitting the strides once again, the Clippers have proved their doubters wrong, and Leonard had a special message for the haters. “I never thought of it that way. But I mean, I’m happy that we’re in it. The last three weeks, it felt like we’ve been in a playoff mindset in our environment, and we had to really win every game to get to this point. I don’t know what our record was, but I think we lost two games in the last three weeks or something like that. And I’m happy and proud that we were able to fight and, you know, get into the playoffs without the play-in.” Leonard stated after their win over the Warriors.
It really has been a spectacular run for the Clippers this season. Every player on their roster has contributed whenever they’ve been called upon. From Norman Powell’s All-Star level form to James Harden’s consistency and Ivica Zubac’s defense. Not to forget Kawhi himself has been solid since making a return to the hardwood. Last night, he also scored 33 points to go with his six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Overall, it has been an incredible team effort by the Clippers that has gotten them to this point. It will be interesting to see how they fare against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the first round of playoffs.
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