Is James Harden playing tonight? Exploring 'The Beard's availability vs Nets

James Harden is expected to play Tuesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. His name doesn’t feature on the LA Clippers’ injury report for the game. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Harden should start for the Clippers. He should be, however, in a minutes restriction.

Harden started against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday and played for 17 minutes, 23 seconds. He had 13 points, eight assists, two steals and two rebounds. He shot 2 of 6 from the floor, including 1-of-4 from beyond the arc and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. The Warriors won the game 91-90 off of a buzzer-beater 3-pointer by Lindy Waters III.

While James Harden should play, the LA Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard (knee), Mo Bamba (knee) and Trentyn Flowers (left wrist injury).

James Harden said he will be “aggressive” without Paul George

Paul George left the LA Clippers in free agency to join the Philadelphia 76ers. With a key offensive piece leaving the team, the Clippers need more production from James Harden. During the team’s media day, Harden spoke about how his game will change with George gone:

“Aggressive. Last year, we tried to figure it out, with guys and their roles. ... It was pretty difficult. This year for me, I've got a clear space in what I need to be doing.”

Harden played in 72 games last season, averaging 16.6 points, 8.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds. His scoring average was the lowest since the 2010-11 season (12.2 points) when he was still a bench player for the OKC Thunder.

When Harden was with the Houston Rockets, he averaged more than 30 points in three seasons. In fact, his averages of 30.4, 36.1 and 34.3 points in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, respectively, led the league. With George gone and no clarity on Kawhi Leonard’s return date yet, expect Harden to be super aggressive when the season starts.

Where and how to watch Brooklyn Nets vs LA Clippers?

The Brooklyn Nets vs LA Clippers game will tip off at 10:30 p.m. EDT at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California. Fans will be able to stream the game live on NBA League Pass. After losing the first game of the preseason, LA is favored to win Tuesday’s matchup.