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“Need Russ”: Fans Cry For Injured Clippers Star’s Help As James Harden Meltdown Continues Vs Hawks

Published 03/18/2024, 12:09 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Furious fans blame James Harden for the LA Clippers‘ latest concern. The team slipped out of the contention to clinch the West’s top seed after losing four out of their last five games. Tonight, they took on the Atlanta Hawks and suffered a humiliating 93-110 loss. Following the game, the fans were quick to point out the impact that Russell Westbrook’s absence has on the team. On top of it, fans paraded together to blame Harden for his inconsistency.

In his last four outings, Harden failed to score at least 15 points. Above all, he also sat out for two consecutive games with a left shoulder strain. Amid this concern, the team has already lost Westbrook for an indefinite period owing to a finger fracture.

Responding to the Clippers’ current situation, a fan said, “They need Russ and Powell so damn bad,” as a solution to resurrect the team from the recent slump.

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Another user mocked the Clippers fans who relied on the team to do without the former MVP.

Another fan went all the way out to list down Russell’s qualities that he brings to the court.

Reacting to Harden and Bones Hyland’s performances in the first three quarters, a fan released his steam off in the comments.

This user poured his suggestions out for the Clippers HC Tyronn Lue for the upcoming games.

Leaving the fans’ outcry aside, James Harden missed his mark tonight. As one of the best superstar guards in the league, The Beard didn’t even attempt to make buckets in this game. In the first three quarters, he missed all his 7 FG attempts and saved himself from further embarrassment by dropping 9 points in the last quarter.

On the other side, Russell Westbrook‘s absence played a crucial role. Before his injury, the former MVP took up the role of leading the team’s second unit and churned in more support from the bench. After his absence, however, the bench points have considerably reduced. Tonight, the Clippers’ bench dropped 17 points while the Hawks’ bench contributed 40 points.

Atlanta Hawks vs LA Clippers match stats

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The Clippers took on the Trae Young-less Hawks in a home game. While the odds were in favor of the LA side to take an easy, it turned out to be the Hawks’ night. The team’s trusted offense Paul George and Kawhi Leonard put together 54 points. However, Harden’s meltdown continued. He managed to drop only 9 points with 9 assists. Notably, the team had only two players with points in double digits.

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Meanwhile, on the other hand, the Hawks had four players scoring in double digits. Dejounte Murray orchestrated the team’s offense with 21 points and 10 assists, supported by De’Andre Hunter with 20 points from the bench.

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What do you make of the Clippers’ current slump? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Shahul Hameed

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Shahul Hameed is a Senior NBA Writer at EssentiallySports. Armed with a Master's Degree in journalism from a distinguished institute, his journey into sports writing began during his college days, and since then, Shahul has been captivated not only by the remarkable consistency of Stephen Curry but also by the enduring legacy of LeBron James. He specializes in covering the live basketball action.
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Edited by:

Jayant Chhabra