James Harden solidifies his place in elite company with win against Wizards

In a dominant display, the LA Clippers outplayed the Wizards, securing a commanding 121-96 victory. James Harden's exceptional performance played a pivotal role in the Clippers' effortless win. Demonstrating his remarkable skills, Harden tallied an impressive 43 points, accompanied by four rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. This remarkable display will surely be etched in recent memory as one of Harden's finest performances.

This was Harden’s best scoring performance in a Clippers uniform, and he entered the record books with this performance, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan as the only players with over 100 40-point games in the NBA’s history. He had already surpassed the likes of Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, Kevin Durant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Harden has been asked to carry a more significant load on offense for the Clippers this season. Following Wednesday’s outing, he’s averaging 21.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game across 20 appearances. That’s a marked improvement compared to 2023-24, and finishing the season with double-digit points and assists might not be a stretch for him.

After Wednesday’s showing, it’s clear that Harden still has it. And if he brings his game on a consistent basis throughout the regular season, then the Clippers could turn more than a few heads as the campaign advances.