James Harden is not really known for his defense. But, when the Los Angeles Clippers star starts taking it seriously, it surely makes headlines and breaks the internet. One of his biggest plays on the defensive end was a no-look steal in transition. Now, it looks another move could top that in the minds of basketball junkies. Against Scoot Henderson's Portland Trail Blazers, he had a shot contest loaded up on a very tough shooter, albeit it was his teammate Kawhi Leonard.
James Harden started the play by creating space in the corner for Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers guard unsurprisingly made the pass at the right time with no Trail Blazers near his teammate. However, it was The Beard who rushed back to try and block what could have been a free three-pointer.
James Harden set up Kawhi Leonard with an open three, before challenging his shot.
Never let them know your next move 😅
(via @nmzhoops)pic.twitter.com/TDfadXnPqJ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 21, 2024
Harden gets clowned
Others were speculating that it would have been a highlight had the shot gone in. This was much like the fake block LeBron James had on Rajon Rondo when they were still teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2o19. But, what happened was something very different and some fans did not like it while others were just left confused while making fun of the situation.
“James Harden playing great defense……….on Kawhi Leonard!?!?” a fan wrote.
Another user joked about the Clippers ditching Harden after the move, “I've never seen this before… James Harden is about to get traded back to the Rockets tomorrow.”
Some Clippers fans were quick to make fun of this, “casual James Harden play.”
Others were more inclined to rebut the narrative of the Clippers guard's defensive abilities, “I was led to believe James Harden is lazy on defense and a liability.”
His good intentions for the Clippers
The Beard was quick to clarify what he was thinking in the middle of their clash against the Trail Blazers, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
“I've got to bring excitement to this team. I think these last few weeks have been a fall for us, every team goes through it. It's just me trying to create energy and create a great vibe in this team. I mean, it would have been better if he would have made the shot. It gives us something to laugh about, give us some excitement,” the Clippers guard said.
He then went on to say that he accomplished that very goal of bringing energy with the hilarious play. After all, the Clippers still won over the Trail Blazers with a 116 to 103 scoreline. They held their opponents to a 48.1% field goal shooting percentage with leading scorer Scoot Henderson only knocking down six out of his 15 attempts.
Harden had a phenomenal game with the Clippers too. He led the team in assists by dishing out 14 dimes while recording 19 points. Despite the block attempt, Leonard still went on to notch 27 points for the team. Paul George rounded out the leaders by recording 27 points alongside six rebounds and four assists.
The Clippers are still 3.5 games behind the third-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves despite this win over Scoot Henderson's squad. They are starting to pick up the pace by winning five out of their last 10 games. Will they make a push to usurp the Anthony Edwards-led squad in this last stretch?
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