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James Harden poured in 12 of his game-high 39 points during overtime on Sunday afternoon, lifting the Los Angeles Clippers to a 124-119 victory over the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco. The win secured the Clippers a direct spot in the NBA playoffs and pushed the Warriors into the play-in bracket.
Harden closed the regular season in style, posting 39 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in the Clippers’ overtime win against the Warriors. He wrapped up the year with five straight games of at least 10 assists, capping a dominant stretch of playmaking. He has reached the playoffs in every one of his 16 NBA seasons, playing for five different teams.
Kawhi Leonard added 33 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and three steals, while Ivica Zubac chipped in 22 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Their efforts helped the Clippers (50-32) lock in the fifth seed in the Western Conference and set up a first-round playoff clash with the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets.
Stephen Curry poured in 36 points, including 21 from beyond the arc, for the Warriors (48-34). Despite his performance, Golden State slid to seventh in the West and will now host the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies in a play-in game Tuesday night in San Francisco. The winner will secure the seventh seed and face the No. 2 Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
Jimmy Butler III supported Curry with 30 points and a team-best nine assists as the Warriors dropped two of their final three games, both at home. Brandin Podziemski added 19 points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, while Draymond Green contributed 14 points and two blocks.
James Harden carrying the Los Angeles Clippers over the Warriors in overtime
Harden put the Clippers ahead for good just over a minute into overtime with a 3-pointer. He followed it up with another triple, a pair of free throws, a floater in the lane, and two clutch foul shots with 3.0 seconds remaining to seal Los Angeles’ eighth straight win.
The Warriors had two late chances to pull even in overtime, but Draymond Green missed a layup with 26.1 seconds left while down by two, and Buddy Hield’s 3-point attempt with 5.1 seconds remaining also came up short.
The Clippers’ eighth straight win to close the regular season guarantees they’ll enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the Western Conference, despite low expectations for them throughout the campaign.
In other Sunday games, Denver secured the fourth seed in the West with a 126-111 win over the second-seeded Houston Rockets.
The Minnesota Timberwolves claimed the sixth seed — the final automatic playoff spot — with a 116-105 victory over the Utah Jazz. With the win, the Timberwolves will face the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.
