James Harden and Clippers dominate Hornets for third straight win
The Clippers are trending in the right direction, and on top of it, they are becoming whole with leading scorer Norman Powell back and with James Harden sustaining his high level of play.
They've won six of their last seven games, with the Clippers’ 123-88 blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday at the Intuit Dome pushing their winning streak to three.
In the eyes of Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, the shift began with his group playing defense at a higher level while not forcing the action.
Read more:Clippers' strong third quarter leads to blowout of the Hawks
Before the game, Lue talked about how Harden has been a consistent force, something the All-Star proved against Charlotte with 31 points on nine-for-15 shooting. He also made four of seven three-point attempts, 10 rebounds and seven assists in just 31 minutes.
Lue said the Clippers are comfortable playing through Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac more frequently. Leonard had 21 points, six rebounds and five assists in 27 minutes, and Zubac finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high eight assists in 28 minutes.
In addition, Lue said integrating Bogdan Bogdanovic (seven points, four rebounds) and Ben Simmons (three assists, zero points) more into the fold, is one of the team's main goals.
“Just trying to fit all these pieces together,” Lue said. “We have [14] games to do it, which is more than enough time if we just lock in and understand what we’re trying to do. So I’m excited about that challenge.”
One player who struggled to put the pieces together Sunday was Powell. After missing 12 of the last 13 games because of knee issues and a right hamstring strain, Powell scored just seven points on three-for-13 shooting.
The next seven days will provide the Clippers with bigger challenges.
They face Cleveland, Memphis and Oklahoma City next. The Cavaliers have the best record in the NBA, the Thunder the second best and the Grizzlies are fourth in the Western Conference.
But because the Clippers have found their groove — like when they built a 38-point lead against Charlotte — they are more ready for the task ahead as they try to climb out of the No. 8 spot in the West.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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