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James Harden Praises “True Professional” Russell Westbrook for Insane Energy Despite Losing Starting Spot

Published 12/07/2023, 1:06 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Los Angeles Clippers have handled the first quarter of the NBA season like an exciting roller-coaster ride. They have provided their fans with some flashes of brilliance through their recent performances. James Harden recently, after all his drama and controversy for a trade, finally went to the team he wanted to. Now, as he is representing the Los Angeles Clippers, he has reunited with his former Houston Rockets teammate, Russell Westbrook.

In his recent game against the Nuggets, Harden performed incredibly well and managed to get a double-double. And in the post-match interview, he gave props to his teammates, especially Russell Westbrook.

The Beard praises Westbrook for his professionalism

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After the match ended against the Denver Nuggets, the City of Angels managed to secure a 111-102 victory. James Harden finally found his footing in the game and put up 20 points and 11 assists. After the match, James was asked in the interview about how he was approaching his teammates going forward. Harden said, “I think it starts with me. Being definitive, getting to the basket, being an offensive generator out there, and just being aggressive. That’s going to make it easy for my teammates, so I think we are starting to become who we are.”

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They further asked him about Russ’s energy off the bench and what it meant for the team. To that, Harden replied, “It’s probably a little frustrating because he wants to play more minutes, but he’s done an unbelievable job of just being a true professional.” Going up against a formidable opponent like the Nuggets, the City of Angels were able to hold their ground and earn a well-deserved 111-102 victory.

This was the Clippers’ first victory over the Nuggets since January 11, 2022, and only their second in the past 13 meetings. Paul George played a vital role in the team’s success by providing 25 points. Even Kawhi Leonard’s crucial 17 points aided the team to make a comeback and displayed their resilience. However, even though the Nuggets lost their star player Nikola Jokic managed to create history with his performance.

What record did the Joker manage to break?

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets created NBA history by ascending the all-time assists list in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Jokic overtook David Wesley, moving up to 115th on the list with 4,155 career assists. Tracy McGrady, with 4,161 assists, is the next record on his quest. Jokic, widely considered one of the finest passing centers in history, averaged  28.9 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists against the Clippers. However, despite his excellent performance, the Nuggets failed to win against the Clippers.

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USA Today via Reuters

With the Clippers team looking stronger than ever with players Paul George, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers look like a formidable opponent and are looking to make a mid-season comeback and change their trajectory in the competitive Western Conference.

Watch this Story: Is Alperen Sengun Already Better Than a 21-Year-Old Nikola Jokic Whom He Idolizes?

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Written by:

Dhruv Shastry

720Articles

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Edited by:

Vishav