James Harden Makes History vs. Indiana Pacers

LA Clippers star James Harden went off vs. the Pacers

Joey Linn | Dec 18, 2023

James Harden Makes History vs. Indiana Pacers /

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LA Clippers star James Harden turned in a vintage Houston Rockets performance in Monday night's win over the Indiana Pacers, going off for 35 points and 9 assists in just 28 minutes of play. Knocking down 8 threes, Harden made history, joining himself as the only other instance of a player putting up at least 35 points, 9 assists, and 8 threes in 30 minutes or less.

Harden achieved this line once in 2019, going off for 43 points, 12 assists, and 8 threes vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers. Such a line has not been achieved in 30 minutes or less by anyone else in league history, which made this a historic performance for Harden on Monday night.

It was a fourth quarter explosion that really got things going for Harden, as he went off for a career-high 21 points in the fourth quarter alone, making six threes in the frame. In was an absolute show that Harden put on in this win, which was LA's 8th straight, extending the longest active winning streak in the NBA.

While Harden dealt with a lot of criticism following LA's five-game losing streak that came after his arrival, he has been silencing those critics over this winning streak. This game was his best yet, and it showed exactly why the Clippers brought him over from the Philadelphia 76ers.

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JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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