Despite the absence of CAM, Powell and Ben Simmons, Harden stepped forward and played 39 minutes, shooting 6 of 20 from the field, 3 of 8 from 3-point range and 9 of 13 from free throw range. He contributed 24 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists and 2 steals, with a plus-15 score. Harden led the way with 11 points in the first quarter to help the Clippers build an early double-digit lead and shut down their opponents to the road victory. Bogdan and Zubac also give Harden strong support on the offensive end.
After the game, Harden shared a photo of the game with Bogdan, with the humorous caption: “25 years of Jedi.” At the same time, he also showed off his sunglasses, entering the handsome moment. Bogdan was full of praise for Harden’s performance: “It’s amazing to see a veteran like him so prepared in back-to-back games. We arrived in Miami at 2 a.m., went to bed around 4 or 5 a.m., and then he was ready for today’s game. That’s a huge inspiration for me, for everyone. He led by example and we followed. He’s a phenomenal competitor who brings out the best in me, and he just goes out there and tries to win every game.” Bogdan also revealed that the Clippers arrived in Miami at 2 a.m. and didn’t rest until 4 or 5 a.m.
The win didn’t come easily, and Bogdan himself played well in the game, shooting 11 of 16 from the field and 4 of 7 from three-point range to finish with 30 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. So far this season, Harden has missed only three games, he carried the Clippers to the playoffs, the last five games, he averaged 31 points, 5.6 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 4.2 3-pointers per game, during the Clippers have achieved a 4-1 record, currently, the Clippers 36-30 record ranked eighth in the Western Conference, 1.5 games behind the Warriors for sixth place.
