James Harden’s 36-point night—sealed by two clutch free throws after his own rare miss—extended the Clippers’ winning streak to six, tightened the West play-in logjam, and exposed Washington’s 7-game slide as more than a slump.
Redemption arc in 5.9 seconds
With 5.9 ticks left and the Clippers clinging to 108-106, James Harden stepped to the stripe 16-for-16 on the night. He missed both. Capital One Arena exhaled—until the loose carom skittered straight back to him. Fouled again, he buried the do-over. Ball-game, 110-106.
It was the ugliest-beautiful ending of this six-game surge, and it crystallized why L.A. is suddenly the team nobody wants in a one-game scenario: even their calamities turn into points.
Numbers that matter
- 36 – Harden’s season-high in regulation this year.
- 33-38 – Clippers at the line, compensating for 5-of-28 abyss from three.
- 60-38 – Points in the paint edge, proof Ty Lue’s small-ball tweak is working without Kawhi Leonard.
- 6 – Straight W’s, matching the franchise’s longest streak since 2020.
West play-in chessboard
The Clippers woke up Monday in 10th, a half-game out of the play-in cliff. By nightfall they were ninth, percentage points ahead of Sacramento and within striking distance of surging Houston. The schedule stays friendly: four of the next five are against sub-.500 teams, starting with a SEGABABA in Chicago Tuesday.
Meanwhile the Wizards are free-falling. Seven consecutive losses, 3-18 since New Year’s, and still no Trae Young (knee/quad) since the blockbuster trade. Washington’s front office is already projecting ping-pong-ball odds rather than parades.
What changed in Clip-land?
Since the streak started the defense is 4th in efficiency; before that they ranked 22nd. The pivot: more Ivica Zubac drop coverage mixed with switch-heavy fourth quarters, plus Harden treating every possession like a Game 7. His usage is 34% in clutch time during the streak—highest in the NBA.
Without Kawhi’s mid-post safety valve, L.A. has turned into a spread pick-and-roll machine. The result: 118.2 offensive rating across the six games, three points better than their season mark.
Wizards’ collateral damage
Alex Sarr’s 28-point breakout deserved a better fate, but rookie fatigue showed in the final 120 seconds: Kyshawn George bricked two open triples and Sarr short-armed a baseline jumper. Washington is now 1-11 in games within five points in the last five minutes since December 1.
Coach Brian Keefe’s developmental mandate is working—three 20-year-olds logged 90 combined minutes—yet the front office must decide whether victories or Victor Wembanyama-level odds better serve the rebuild.
Next up
Clippers: Overnight turnaround in Chicago vs. a Bulls team on the second night of its own back-to-back. Expect load-management whispers around Paul George’s minutes if Kawhi remains out.
Wizards: A 48-hour respite before Nikola Jokić arrives Thursday. Denver is 8-2 on the second night of back-to-backs; Washington is 0-7 in such spots.
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