James Harden turned back the clock in the first half of the Los Angeles Clippers' matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

Harden is going through the 17th season of his remarkable NBA career, this third with the Clippers. At age 36, he continues to shine as one of the best scorers and playmakers in the league, constantly putting opponents on their heels whenever they play against him.

That much was the case throughout the first half of Friday's contest against the Mavericks. He put up a stat line of 23 points, six rebounds and five assists during his time on the court throughout the first 24 minutes of regulation.

How James Harden, Clippers played against Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks center Moussa Cisse (30) grabs a rebound in front of LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) and guard Klay Thompson (31) during the second quarter in an NBA Cup game at the American Airlines Center.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

James Harden's efforts proved to help the Clippers claw away with the 133-127 win over the Mavericks in a double-overtime thriller.

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Dallas refused to let the game get away from them as the team took Los Angeles down to the wire. Despite the hosts' advances, the visitors made enough plays down the stretch to outscore the Mavericks 19-13 throughout both overtime periods.

Perimeter shooting, ball movement and steals made the difference in this matchup. The Clippers prevailed in all three categories by making 13 3-pointers, creating 22 assists and forcing 16 steals. It wasn't the same for the Mavericks as they converted 10 triples, dished out 18 assists and recorded 11 steals.

Four players scored in double-digits for Los Angeles, including Harden. He finished with a stat line of 41 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks, and a steal. He shot 13-of-25 overall, including 6-of-12 from downtown, and 9-of-11 from the charity stripe. Ivica Zubac came next with 27 points and 11 rebounds, Bogdan Bogdanovic put up 21 points and four steals, while Derrick Jones Jr. provided 15 points and four rebounds.

Los Angeles improved to a 4-8 record on the season, holding the 12th spot of the Western Conference standings. They are above the Memphis Grizzlies by 0.5 games and Sacramento Kings by one game. Meanwhile, they are even with the Utah Jazz and trail the Portland Trail Blazers by two games.

The Clippers will look forward to their next matchup, remaining on the road. They face the Boston Celtics on Nov. 16 at 3:30 p.m. ET.