One month after James Harden moved into second place on the all-time 3-point shooting list, the scene will feel similar when the Los Angeles Clippers play host to the Utah Jazz on Monday in Inglewood, Calif.
When Clippers earned a 116-105 home victory over the Jazz in the middle of November, Harden made a pair of 3-pointers that moved him past Ray Allen on the all-time list and into second place behind only Stephen Curry.
Harden finished the game with 2,975 made 3-pointers, and while making 35 more since, he is 37.2 percent from distance over his past 11 games. That is above his season average of 33.8 percent and even better than his career mark of 36.3 percent.
Harden (21.4 scoring average) has taken it upon himself to carry a heavy load this season as the Clippers play without Kawhi Leonard (knee). Norman Powell also has stepped up to lead Los Angeles in scoring at 23.2 points per game.
And while Leonard still is not expected to play Monday, he has returned to practice and should be on the court soon after he goes through contact work with his teammates.
Harden and Powell might then have more room to move as the team tries to build on a respectable 14-12 record without their star. The help will be welcome with the Clippers currently on a three-game losing streak to match a season high after a 120-98 loss at Denver on Friday.
“It’s fun and it’s a respect thing with the (defensive) attention, but with Kawhi coming back, whenever that is, the attention that he draws is gonna open up the game for everybody, not just myself,” Powell said. “He’s another threat on the floor. He draws double teams and … it’s another level of our offense we can’t wait to unlock.”
The Jazz aren’t exactly bringing a stout defensive unit into Monday’s game. They have lost three of their past four games and in those defeats, they gave up an average of 136.0 points per game. In the one victory, they allowed just 99 points.
During Friday’s 134-126 home defeat to the Phoenix Suns, Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points for the Jazz, while John Collins added 22. Clarkson returned after missing seven games with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
Utah lost despite shooting 55.8 percent from the floor, while making 22 of 39 shots (56.4 percent) from 3-point range. Lauri Markkanen added 19 points. The Suns shot 52.8 percent overall and 48.9 percent from distance while committing eight turnovers to 15 for the Jazz.
“We were right there,” Jazz head coach Will Hardy said. “I’ll sign up to be in a six-point game in our building halfway through the fourth quarter. With how our offense was going, I thought a couple of stops were going to be enough to win, but they made us pay for our mistakes.”
The Jazz are 28th in the 30-team NBA by allowing 119.3 points per game. The Clippers rank fifth, allowing 107.8 points. But Utah is third-best in the league by allowing 41.5 rebounds per game, just ahead of the Clippers at 41.8.
–Field Level Media
