INGLEWOOD, California: James Harden has joined Golden State’s Stephen Curry as the only NBA players to reach 3,000 career 3-pointers.
Harden hit the milestone in the first half of the Los Angeles Clippers’ 126-122 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. He hit three 3s in the first half and three more in the second half while leading the Clippers with 39 points.
“Another one of those accomplishments that you never take for granted,” Harden said. “The amount of work that I’ve put in — countless days and nights where I put the work in — a lot of people don’t see it but the results happen, so I’m just thankful.”
Harden just missed a triple-double, with nine rebounds and 11 assists.
The achievement finished off a standout week for the 35-year-old guard. Harden scored 43 points — his most as a Clipper — in a road win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, his 100th career game of 40 or more. He joined Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan as the only players to do so.
“He had that first quarter against Washington where he reminded people, ‘Hey, I can still go out here and drop 40 on you real quick,’” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.
The Clippers are 13-9 without superstar Kawhi Leonard, who has yet to play this season while managing ongoing inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee.
Harden has been tasked with carrying a greater offensive load in Leonard’s absence as well as Paul George leaving as a free agent in the offseason. He has responded and at times, like against the Wizards, his efforts have recalled his prolific scoring years with the Houston Rockets.
Malone noted that Harden has matured and responded to what’s been asked of him as a point guard.
“He makes almost every key decision for their offense,” the coach said. ”He can beat you with his playmaking as well, and that shows you the talent, that shows you the quality of his game, where he’s not solely the scorer.”
Harden is also mentoring the team’s younger players, a role he describes as “very, very comfortable” for him.
“It’s easy for me just because I’ve been in this situation for a lot of my NBA career. Just helping guys as much as I can to where it makes the game a lot easier for them,” he said. “It’s really fun.”
Norman Powell said he and the other Clippers love to play with Harden because they know he’ll get them the ball.
“It’s difficult to see from afar,” Powell said, “but on the floor knowing when to attack, knowing when to get his shot off, when to get the guys open, the pass that he makes. He knows how to get guys open and to get the most out of the team.”
James Harden joins Stephen Curry as the only NBA players to reach 3,000 3-pointers
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James Harden joins Stephen Curry as the only NBA players to reach 3,000 3-pointers
- Harden hit the milestone in the first half of the Los Angeles Clippers’ 126-122 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night
- Harden scored 43 points – his most as a Clipper – in a road win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday
Australia crush England by 8 wickets for 2-0 Ashes lead
- Australia are now overwhelming favorites to retain the Ashes with matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney to follow
BRISBANE: Australia cruised to an emphatic eight-wicket win over England in the day-night second Ashes Test in Brisbane on Sunday for an ominous 2-0 lead in the series.
Set a paltry target of 65 for victory, Australia captain Steve Smith pulled Gus Atkinson for a huge six over square leg to get the job done in style.
Although not as humiliating as the two-day loss in the first Test at Perth, England were comprehensively outplayed in every department.
Australia are now overwhelming favorites to retain the Ashes with matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney to follow.
“Great day. First two days were pretty even, game turned when we were able to extend to get the new ball under lights, that was crucial for us,” said Smith, who clashed verbally with England bowler Jofra Archer as the hosts raced to victory.
“It can be tricky with the pink ball, it changes really quickly and you have to adapt.”
For England it was more misery. Their batting, apart from Joe Root and Zak Crawley in the first innings and captain Ben Stokes and Will Jacks in the second, was just as rash as in Perth.
They gave their wickets away with poor strokes on the bouncy Gabba surface.
They also bowled poorly, pitching too short and wasting the new pink ball, in stark contrast to an Australian attack missing spearheads Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
To make matters worse England dropped five catches in the first innings, whereas Australia’s fielders caught everything that came their way.
Josh Inglis’s brilliant run-out of Stokes in the first innings changed the course of the match. “Obviously very disappointing,” said Stokes.
“I think a lot of it comes down to not being able to stand up to the pressure of this game, this format, when the game is on the line.”
England were behind the game once they let Australia’s tail help the home side post 511 on Saturday, an overall lead of 177.
They then lost six second-innings wickets under lights to end the third day 134-6, still 43 runs behind the Australian total.
While many expected England to surrender meekly on Sunday, Stokes and all-rounder Jacks led a fighting rearguard action to ensure Australia had to bat a second time.
Stokes and Jacks defied the Australian pace attack on a fiercely hot day to edge their way past the initial deficit target and begin to set Australia something to chase.
England batting coach Marcus Trescothick said Saturday his batsmen would not change their aggressive approach, despite a clatter of wickets from poor shots.
But Stokes and Jacks were patient during the first session Sunday. They left balls they didn’t need to play and seemed happy to take their runs in singles rather than expansive boundary shots.
They scored just 28 runs in the first hour and passed the 43-run deficit 96 minutes into the session, scoring only 59 runs in the two hours.
The Australian bowlers, who ran rampant under lights on Saturday with the pink ball, were far more ineffective on Sunday, despite the wicket beginning to play some tricks.
The English offered only one chance when Scott Boland squared up Stokes, who got a thick edge over the slips cordon.
They continued to frustrate the Australians in the second session until just before the drinks break Jacks got an edge to Michael Neser and Smith snared a breath-taking catch at slip, diving full length to his left and catching it low to the ground.
Neser struck again in the next over when Stokes nibbled at a ball outside the off-stump and got a fine edge to keeper Alex Carey to leave England 227-8, a lead of exactly 50.
