The Clippers’ James Harden hit a milestone during the Lakers’ showdown

James Harden is still one of the best scorers in the NBA, and continues to climb the ranks of league history.

Going into Sunday’s game in between Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers, Harden had 26,700 career points. This placed him 15th on the all-time scoring list, behind NBA legend Oscar Robertson with 26,710 points.

Harden was successful on the goal of passing Robertson move up to 14th for most career points in NBA history. In 40 minutes of action, he finished with a double-double of 21 points and 12 assists while shooting 9-of-17 from the field and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.

As James Harden, the Clippers beat the Lakers

James Harden and the Clippers were successful in defeating their fellow Lakers, winning 116-102.

The Clippers led 64-49 at halftime, showing high-quality shot selection with 57.8% accuracy. Despite the Lakers’ efforts, they were unable to rally against their in-state rivals in terms of generating more shots to go through the basket.

By the end of the game, the Clippers made a total of 47 shots, while the Lakers made only 38. Norman Powell scored a record 22 points, Ivica Zubac had a double-double of 21 points and 19 rebounds, and Kawhi Leonard had 19 points.

They improve to 24-17 overall and extend their winning streak to four entering the midway point of the 2024-25 campaign. They remain fifth in the Western Conference standings, 2.5 games behind the Houston Rockets for second place.

At 35 years old, Harden continues to be very productive in his second season as a Clipper. He is averaging 21.4 points, eight assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. His shooting efficiency dipped, shooting 39.8% from the field and 34.6% from three.

The team especially shined on the defensive side of the ball. They currently have the third-best defense on the year, allowing just 106.6 points per game. Also worth noting is their defensive rating of 108.1, which ranks third among all 30 teams.

The Clippers host four more games at home, playing the Chicago Bulls on Monday at 10:30 PM ET, the Boston Celtics on January 22nd, the Washington Wizards on January 23rd and the Milwaukee Bucks on January 25th.