Charlotte, NC — james harden Made 10 3-pointers and scored 55 points, the most LA Clippers History, to help defeat charlotte hornets 131-116 on Saturday.
According to ESPN Research, it was Harden’s 25th 50-point game in his 17-year career, tying Kobe Bryant for the third-most 50-point games in NBA history. Charles Smith and Bob McAdoo previously set the Clippers’ scoring record with 52 points apiece.
ivica zubac Added 18 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists for the Clippers, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
The 36-year-old Harden scored 27 points on five 3s in the opening quarter, helping the Clippers build a 14-point lead in the first half and erase a fast start by the Hornets, who made seven of their first eight shots.
Cheater Con Knuppel He had 26 points to lead the Hornets, who have lost five in a row. Brandon Miller Returned from a 13-game absence due to a shoulder injury and finished with 21 points.
Charlotte led 74-72 in the third quarter, but the momentum changed when lamelo ball Was ejected from the game with his fourth foul.
Hornets with center Ryan Kalkbrenner After leaving the game early due to an ankle injury, the Clippers relied on Zubac’s size advantage mousa diabetes in the third quarter, resulting in back-to-back dunks. Then came Harden’s signature moment, when he drilled his eighth 3 over two defenders on a step-back jumper, drawing a foul on Diabate for a 4-point play.
Harden’s 55-point outing was the 11th-highest scoring game of his career and tied for the highest-scoring game with the leading MVP candidates this season. Nikola Jokic And Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderHarden’s career high is 61 points,
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
