James Harden lights up the Los Angeles Clippers’ scoreboard with 39 points en route to a 124-119 overtime win over Golden State that sent them into the NBA playoffs.
EZRA SHAW/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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LOS ANGELES (AFP) — James Harden scored 39 points as the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors 124-119 in overtime to clinch the final playoff spot in a thrilling last day of the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season on Sunday.
Harden’s superb display in San Francisco helped the Clippers bag the fifth seed in the Western Conference and sets up a first-round postseason series with the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets.
The 35-year-old Harden’s points tally included two crucial back-to-back three-pointers in overtime which ultimately proved decisive in a back-and-forth duel that saw the lead change hands 23 times.
The defeat for Golden State means the Warriors must now secure their place in the playoffs via the four-team play-in tournament starting this week, hosting Memphis on Tuesday.
Harden meanwhile praised the Clippers’ composure in closing out victory in front of the Warriors’ vociferous home support.
‘There was a lot of great execution, and lot of stuff that was very impressive. But we couldn’t quite pull it off.’
“We knew it was gonna be a hostile environment, and the main goal was just to win the game,” Harden told ESPN.
“Whether it’s scoring, whether it’s playmaking... it’s whatever it takes at this point.”
The win was the Clippers’ eighth straight victory to close out the regular season, ensuring they will enter the playoffs as the form team in the Western Conference after a campaign where few gave them much hope.“We know we’re a good team and we’re excited to show the world that we’re a good team,” Harden said.
Harden was backed with 33 points from Kawhi Leonard while Ivica Zubac added 22.
Stephen Curry led Golden State’s scoring with 36 points while Jimmy Butler added 30 points.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr praised the Clippers performance after a gripping contest.
“That was a big-time basketball game — they’re one of the best teams in the NBA, and so are we,” Kerr said. “It was a great, great game — high-level stuff, stars being stars. We came up short but not for lack of effort.”
“There was a lot of great execution, and lot of stuff that was very impressive. But we couldn’t quite pull it off.”
In other games on Sunday, Denver clinched the fourth seed in the West with a 126-111 victory over the second-seeded Houston Rockets.
