James Harden and Los Angeles Clippers try to keep clicking at sliding San Antonio Spurs
The Clippers head to San Antonio following a 106-100 victory at home over Houston on Friday in an in-season tournament game. The win, which snapped a six-game losing streak, was crucial for the Clippers, especially since it marked their first victory in the six games that
Harden, who scored 24 points in the game, including a four-point play with six seconds remaining, expressed satisfaction with the win, acknowledging that there's still room for improvement on both ends of the court. It was Harden's second game with 20 or more points in a Clippers uniform, both occurring in the last two outings.
"We've still got a long way to go, but obviously it felt good to get a win," Harden said. "You can't take those for granted. But like I continue to say, it's a building process, and I can see a lot of (areas for) improvement on both sides of the ball."
The Spurs, on the other hand, are in a challenging position after dropping eight consecutive games, including a 120-108 home loss to Memphis on Saturday. Despite leading by 17 points at halftime, the Spurs found themselves only seven points ahead heading into the fourth quarter, eventually succumbing to an 18-0 run by Memphis.
San Antonio coach
The Spurs' defensive woes are evident, ranking last in the
The Clippers hold a five-game winning streak against San Antonio, including a dominant 123-83 victory on Oct. 29. San Antonio's last win against the Clippers dates back to Jan. 15, 2022.
(With Reuters inputs)
NEW DELHI: The Los Angeles Clippers are optimistic that they have discovered a winning formula, and they plan to implement it in their upcoming clash with the struggling San Antonio Spurs on Monday. This game marks the first of two matchups between the teams within a three-night span in the Alamo City.The Clippers head to San Antonio following a 106-100 victory at home over Houston on Friday in an in-season tournament game.The win, which snapped a six-game losing streak, was crucial for the Clippers, especially since it marked their first victory in the six games that James Harden has played with the team since being traded from Philadelphia.Harden, who scored 24 points in the game, including a four-point play with six seconds remaining, expressed satisfaction with the win, acknowledging that there's still room for improvement on both ends of the court. It was Harden's second game with 20 or more points in a Clippers uniform, both occurring in the last two outings."We've still got a long way to go, but obviously it felt good to get a win," Harden said. "You can't take those for granted. But like I continue to say, it's a building process, and I can see a lot of (areas for) improvement on both sides of the ball."Kawhi Leonard contributed 26 points, and Paul George added 23, contributing to the Clippers' first win in November and a 1-2 record in the in-season tournament.The Spurs, on the other hand, are in a challenging position after dropping eight consecutive games, including a 120-108 home loss to Memphis on Saturday. Despite leading by 17 points at halftime, the Spurs found themselves only seven points ahead heading into the fourth quarter, eventually succumbing to an 18-0 run by Memphis.San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich acknowledged the team's struggles, pointing out the need for consistency, especially in scoring, to avoid leads dissipating. Keldon Johnson led the Spurs with 22 points, while Victor Wembanyama contributed 19 points, 13 rebounds, and eight blocked shots.The Spurs' defensive woes are evident, ranking last in the NBA in points allowed (124.2 per game), opposing teams' field-goal percentage (50 percent), and second to last in opposing teams' 3-point percentage (40 percent).The Clippers hold a five-game winning streak against San Antonio, including a dominant 123-83 victory on Oct. 29. San Antonio's last win against the Clippers dates back to Jan. 15, 2022.
