Is James Harden playing tonight against Dallas Mavericks? Latest on Clippers star's availability (April 5)
James Harden has been a steadying force for the Los Angeles Clippers, playing at a near All-Star caliber. He, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac kept the club afloat while waiting for Kawhi Leonard to return to the lineup.Yet the 6-foot-5 guard has been nursing a foot injury since he rolled his ankle in their win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 23rd. The injury has not kept him out of the lineup since then, though, and he is not listed on the Clippers' injury report and will play tonight against the Dallas Mavericks.
For a player his age, Harden has received rave notices from NBA analysts throughout the season and has been one of the league's leading point guards this season, again playing at a brilliance level as a scorer and playmaker. Harden has been a workhorse for the Clippers, playing in 74 of the team's 77 games this season, his most in a season since the 2018-2019 season.
He has the Los Angeles Clippers positioned to steal one of the Western Conference's top six seeds and avoid the play-in tournament.
Harden hasn't sat out a game for over a month with the Clippers, who have needed everyone to contribute and make a run in the Western Conference. The standings are close, only two games behind seventh-seeded Clippers and third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.
With five regular season games left, the Clippers are praying they can maintain the momentum and transfer it to the playoffs.
The Clippers will look to win again against Anthony Davis and Co. and sweep their season series with the Mavericks 3-1.
Beating the Mavericks would be the fourth in a row for the Clippers and the end before they open next year at the same time by finishing it with three clubs which should figure into the playoffs.
What would the Los Angeles Clippers be missing if James Harden does not play against the Dallas Mavericks?
The Clippers have a couple of veteran players on their roster with rocky injury past, so head coach Tyronn Lue may decide that James Harden requires one additional night of rest before they begin the playoffs.
In their last game against the Mavericks on Friday evening, the Clippers overwhelmed Dallas, winning the game 114-91 at the Intuit Dome. Harden was a consistent force as the point guard with 13 points, four rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes on court.
James Harden has been the offense of the Clippers this year, though, scoring 22.4 points and 8.5 assists for a team that needs his experience and talent to lead a team.
James Harden is the Clippers' top scorer this year, but he won't have as much on his shoulders due to Powell and Leonard's scoring prowess. He and the rest of the Clippers will need to be playing at their best, though, if they want to make a deep run in the Western Conference playoffs, which has become a murderer's row.