Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard James Harden is still a scoring machine.
On Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards, Harden scored 31 points in the first half, going 11-of-15 from the field. He also had five assists.
Harden was underwhelming in his first season with the club. In 72 regular-season games, the 10-time All-Star averaged 16.6 points per game, the fourth-lowest mark of his career.
However, Harden’s off to a much better start this season. Through his first 19 games, he averaged 20.5 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game and 8.7 assists per game on 37.2% shooting.
The 35-year-old’s resurgence is helping the Clippers exceed expectations. L.A. (11-8) is seventh in the Western Conference and has won five of their last six games. Before the season started, CBS Sports’ Colin Ward-Henninger ranked them No. 19 in the NBA.
Keep in mind Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard underwent knee surgery this offseason, and his recovery timetable still seems unclear. Even if Leonard doesn’t return soon, the Clippers should keep rolling as long as Harden has more scoring spurts.
