Is James Harden playing tonight against Denver Nuggets? Latest on Clippers star's availability for Game 1, NBA playoffs (Apr. 19)

By Sameer Khan

Modified Apr 19, 2025 10:34 GMT

Los Angeles Clippers v Golden State Warriors - Source: Getty — Is James Harden playing tonight against Denver Nuggets? (Credits: Getty)

LA Clippers star James Harden is available to play in his team’s first game of the NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. Harden has been one of the Clippers’ most important players this season. He made 79 appearances, recording 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game while shooting 41% from the field.

Thanks to his efforts, LA claimed the sixth seed in the Western Conference and will now face the Nuggets for their first postseason game. So far, the Clippers have played the Nuggets four times during the regular season. Each team has won two games.

However, Denver hasn’t played the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard in the lineup. Leonard returned from injury in January and is yet to suit up against Denver. The 33-year-old’s season got off to a slow start, but he turned things around by the end and made 37 appearances, recording 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

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Furthermore, Leonard took things up a notch to close out the regular season, recording 26.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists over his last 10 games. It’ll be interesting to see what Harden and Leonard have in store for the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

James Harden’s stats vs Denver Nuggets

James Harden has been stellar against the Denver Nuggets throughout his career. He has made 49 regular-season appearances against them, averaging 23.3 points, 6.9 assists and 5.1 rebounds. James was also key against them this season, averaging 23.3 points, 9.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds in four games.

His best performance against them came in December when he dropped 39 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. Unfortunately, James Harden hasn’t had many opportunities to take on Denver in the playoffs. They’ve met just once in 2011 when the Beard was still with OKC. He played five games in that series, recording 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

Where to watch the LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets? NBA playoffs

The NBA playoffs game featuring the LA Clippers vs Denver Nuggets is scheduled to tip off from the Ball Arena on Saturday. The game will go live at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be broadcast on ESPN. Alternatively, the game can be streamed with NBA League Pass or FuboTV.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Nadim El Kak