James Harden steered the LA Clippers to a decisive road win over the Atlanta Hawks, snapping a five-game losing streak in their first outing since the stunning decision of letting go veteran Chris Paul.
A day after parting ways with Chris Paul, James Harden and the LA Clippers shook off a five-game skid with a commanding 115-92 romp of the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, Dec. 4 (PH time).
Harden led the way with 27 points and nine assists, while Kawhi Leonard added 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Kobe Sanders chipped in 17 markers off the bench as the Clippers claimed a much-needed victory following their shock move to let go of the veteran Paul.
[ALSO READ: In shock move, struggling Clippers part ways with veteran Chris Paul]
Before the game, Clippers head coach Ty Lue described the split with Paul as “not a good fit.”
“It is what it is. Do I want to see CP go out like this? No. I have a lot of respect for him. He’s been a friend of mine over the years. You never want to see a great go out like this. But I’m pretty sure he will find something, because he’s a great player,” Lue said.
LA led by as many as 25 points, dominated the rebounding battle (54-38), and improved to 6–16.
For Atlanta, Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the way with 21 points in the losing effort, dropping the Hawks to 13–10.
The Clippers will next visit the Memphis Grizzlies (9–13), while the Hawks host the Denver Nuggets (15–6).
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.