NEW YORK (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers put their four stars on the floor together to start James Harden's first game with the team.
Harden joined Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup against the New York Knicks on Monday night.
Harden was the last of the Clippers announced and was loudly booed by the crowd at Madison Square Garden. He played a little more than half of the first quarter and then came out, with coach Tyronn Lue saying before the game that his new guard would play shorter stints than usual in his first NBA action of his 15th season.
Harden joined the Clippers last week after finally getting the trade he sought from the Philadelphia 76ers since the summer. He spent recent days watching film of the Clippers and participating in some 5-on-5 workouts with his new teammates.
Lue said the players have already talked about how will they have to change their games to make Harden's fit a smooth one. Center Ivica Zubac is the other starter.
“So just because you acquire a guy like James Harden doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to win,” Lue said. “You've got to put the work in and you’ve got to be ready to sacrifice.”
Harden looked willing to make that sacrifice in his initial stint. He didn't take a shot and focused more on setting up his teammates, assisting on two baskets and finding Zubac in the lane with a couple nice passes.
Lue said there would be a minutes limit for Harden, who didn't take part in the full preseason with the 76ers before the trade. The coach is also figuring out how the starters will be mixed in with reserves.
“I scripted it out a thousand times, but we’ll see how it works,” Lue said. “But I have a plan in place of how we want to do it and kind of go from there. But I think it will be good for us.”
Harden shares the opponent scoring record at the current Madison Square Garden with Kobe Bryant, having scored 61 points for Houston on Jan. 23, 2019. The 2018 NBA MVP wasn't that type of explosive scorer with the 76ers, with a role more centered on setting up All-Star center Joel Embiid.
Harden figures to take turns as scorer and distributor with the Clippers. Lue said Westbrook would largely handle the point guard duties and Harden would play off the ball when they are on the floor together.
“It’s not going to happen overnight and so guys have to sacrifice minutes, shots, touches,” Lue said. “If they do that, we can be a really good team and so tonight’s going to be the start of it. I’m very excited to get started with this team we have, this new group.”
The Clippers should be a title contender if those four players remain healthy, though Harden has been on teams before whose hopes were wrecked by untimely injuries. So he knows all they can do is use the season to make sure they are as ready if possible.
“It’s a game by game, step by step and I think we’re building to be really good in the postseason,” Harden said Sunday. “So obviously there’s going to be good times, some bad times in the NBA season, which I think every team goes through that. So I think for us, it’s just making sure we’re prepared when it’s time.”
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