James Harden’s immediate reaction to the big win over the Lakers
The The Los Angeles Clippers were the hottest team in the NBA in the last month; from December 20 Clippers they won 14 of their previous 17 games, including their Thursday night matchup against the arch-rival Los Angeles Lakers. They led by as many as 26 points Thursday before a late scare by the Lakers made the Clippers sweat their way to a 112-104 victory.
The Clippers turnaround is legit and Kawhi Leonard is in MVP mode and James Harden to be his usual, reliable self. Leonard returned to action after a three-game absence and scored 24 points, while Harden added 18 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists.
Because of how deep the hole they dug themselves into earlier this season, the Clippers still have a long way to go before cementing their place in the Western Conference postseason picture. Still, a win is a win, and Harden couldn’t be more grateful that they pulled it off against the Lakers.
“We’ve done enough … Whatever it takes to win, that’s my mindset,” Harden told Amazon Prime reporter Allie Clifton.
“We’ve done enough … Whatever it takes to win, that’s my mindset.”
James Harden after the difficult match of the Clippers against the visiting Lakers 🗣
(via @LAClippers)pic.tvitter.com/kkbovfSIKSz
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 23, 2026
The Clippers will look to continue their strong streak on Sunday night when they take on the Brooklyn Nets at 9:00 PM ET
Machines lock with free time
The Clippers have played with a sense of desperation and urgency over the past month. They are now 10th in the West after being 13th or 14th for most of the first two months of the season, and with 38 games left on their schedule, they have plenty of time to climb over the .500 mark and even challenge for a real playoff spot.
There’s a chance LA could even make a blockbuster tradewhereby someone like Ivica Zubac would potentially give way.
2026-01-23 06:37:00
