James Harden had an abysmal display on Sunday in the LA Clippers' blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks at the Crypto.com Arena. He returned from a two-game absence due to a shoulder injury but did not look like himself, going scoreless in the first three quarters.
The former MVP didn't score his first points until the 11:01 mark of the fourth quarter. It was an easy layup that cut the Hawks' lead to 27 points. The Clippers put up a better fight in the fourth period, but it was too little too late. They lost 110-93 as Atlanta snapped its three-game losing streak.
Harden ended with nine points, all of which came in the final period. He also had six rebounds, nine assists, a steal and a block in 36 minutes of action. He went 3-for-10 from the field, including 2-for-5 from beyond the arc.
The Clippers remain fourth in the West, but the loss meant that the New Orleans Pelicans are getting closer.
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NBA fans on social media were very critical of James Harden, who was supposed to help the LA Clippers get their groove back. The Clippers have been inconsistent since the All-Star break, heading into the final stretch of the season.
One fan joked that Harden is already in playoff form, which meant that the Clippers are going to lose more games.
Another fan has the same thought:
"Playoff James Harden is making an early appearance this year?"
Another went off on the Clippers and not just Harden:
"Clippers have the entire a** on display against the Hawks, cheeks flapping in the wind like they're entertaining James Harden at the club."
However, the most entertaining part is the memes made by fans:
James Harden moves up in the NBA all-time scoring list
James Harden needed eight points on Sunday to pass Vince Carter in the NBA's all-time scoring list. He had zero points in the first three quarters and would probably pass Carter in their next game, but it seemed like the left-handed superstar wanted the Top 20 spot.
Harden scored nine points in the fourth quarter to move into the 20th spot in the NBA's all-time scoring list. It's another amazing achievement for the former MVP and one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history. Next on the list is Kevin Garnett, who is 342 points ahead.
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