James Harden is proving that he can perhaps outrun Father Time.
Harden, who is in his 17th NBA season, erupted for 55 points during the Clippers’ 131-116 road win over the Hornets on Saturday — the most in the franchise’s history.
The 36-year-old made 10 3-pointers along with racking up seven assists while shooting 17-of-26 from the field.
“Needed a win,” Harden told reporters following the game, according to The Athletic. “At this point, it’s about winning. So, I had to do what I had to do.”
Saturday’s performance marked Harden’s 25th 50-point game in the 11-time All-Star’s career, which tied him with Kobe Bryant for the third-most 50-point games in NBA history.
Prior to Harden breaking the Clippers’ record, Charles Smith and Bob McAdoo had the most points in franchise history with 52.
Harden, who had 27 of his points from the first quarter alone, attributed his success on Saturday to being able to make good decisions when playing alongside his teammates.
“Making the right decision,” Harden said of his play style. “That’s how I play every single game. Some nights, I’m really, really good at it. Some nights, I’m not the best at it. And I try to be great every single night. Yeah, it’s just that simple.”
The game also marks Harden’s sixth 30-point game of the season — where the former MVP is averaging 26.5 points per game, his most since the 2019-20 season where he scored a NBA-leading 34.3 points a night.
“He carried us offensively,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said. “I thought we did it the right way — got the the ball to the second side, and then, he was able to get to his actions, get to his one-on-one. And I thought we trusted.
“I thought James did a great job; they were firing in the second half, and just trusting the pass and trusting our guys to make the right play. Which we were able to do in the second half. So, that was just really good to see.”
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