Clippers hold out James Harden with right shoulder stiffness against Warriors
clippers-hold-out-james-harden-with-right-shoulder-stiffness-against-warriors
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — LA Clippers guard James Harden sat out Monday night’s matchup with the Golden State Warriors because of tightness in his right shoulder, the team announced shortly before tipoff.
The 36-year-old went through pregame warmups at Kia Forum but was ruled unavailable after experiencing discomfort. It marked just the third game he has missed this season.
Harden is averaging 25.7 points per game, his highest scoring rate since leading the league in 2019-20. He also ranks seventh in the NBA with 8.0 assists and is tied for 10th in minutes at 35.4 per contest.
Head coach Tyronn Lue attributed the issue in part to the heavy workload Harden carried while Kawhi Leonard sat out 10 games in November with a sprained ankle and foot.
“I think definitely, just body fatigue, all the things he had to do as far as carrying the offense when Kawhi was out,” Lue said before the game. “We didn’t really have a secondary scorer. He had to do a lot for us.”
Source: ESPN
