James Harden has been dealing with a shoulder injury but still played in the Los Angeles Clippers' 118-100 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. Harden scored 12 points and dished out seven assists in the defeat. When asked about potentially taking a game or two off due to the injury, Harden responded with a murky six-word response, via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.
“We’ll see tomorrow how I feel,” Harden said.
Harden clearly wants to keep playing. His health is of the utmost importance, especially with the playoffs looming.
Kawhi Leonard left Tuesday's game with an injury. Paul George was listed on LA's injury report before the game along with Leonard. This Clippers team features plenty of talent and potential, but injuries are the one obstacle that could negatively impact them down the stretch.
For now, the Clippers are still hopeful that they can bounce back. Monitoring their star players' injury statuses will be important, though.
James Harden's impact on Clippers
Harden has played a crucial role for the Clippers since getting traded to Los Angeles early in the 2023-24 season. He is currently averaging 17.4 points per game on 44.2 percent field goal and 40.3 percent three-point shooting. Harden is also recording 8.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks per outing.
Harden helps in multiple ways. He's proven to be a good fit alongside superstars such as Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Some people around the NBA initially questioned the fit since three superstars do not always find a way to co-exist with one another. But so far, Harden has found a way to make it work for the most part.
Despite the loss, the Clippers now hold a 41-23 record which is good for fourth in the Western Conference. LA is 3.5 games behind the first place Oklahoma City Thunder. The Clippers will try to jump back into the win column against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.
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