After the Sixers had a strong win against Harden 3 observations, the Clippers appeared first on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers finally saw James Harden again on Sunday in Los Angeles. It was a strong 121-107 victory over the Clippers. Tyrese Maxey had 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting, 6 assists and no turnovers.
Tobias Harris also scored 24 points. Cameron Payne added a season-high 23.
Harden finished the game with 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting and 14 assists. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George scored 20 and 18 points, respectively, for the Clippers, who dropped to 44-26.
The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (left knee meniscus surgery), Kyle Lowry (rest), De'Anthony Melton (lumbar spine stress reaction), Robert Covington (left hamstring strain) and Kai Jones (right hamstring strain).
The Clippers were without Russell Westbrook (left hand fracture) and PJ Tucker (right calf strain).
The 39-32 Sixers will complete their four-game road trip on Monday night against the Kings.
Here are observations on their victory in Los Angeles:
No more lid on the basket
Harris showed zero reluctance to take the early jumpers he was offered, scoring the first seven points of the afternoon with a corner three and two mid-range jumpers.
Harden put Los Angeles on the board with a one-and-one layup, accelerating to the left of a double-dribble move. He was guarded by Kelly Oubre Jr. who picked up two fouls in a row but stayed in the game and played an excellent first quarter on offense. He regularly made the right play, hitting open teammates and knocking down two corner threes.
Oubre recorded 12 points and a season-high 6 assists that day.
A career 32.7 percent long-range shooter, Oubre has shot just 23 percent in his last 29 games. A few jumpers needed to fall. The Sixers were in the same situation, scoring 18 points in the fourth quarter alone in their loss to the Lakers on Friday night. They scored 23 more points in Sunday's first quarter, starting 10-for-8 from three-point range.
Backup starters Buddy Hield and Mo Bamba were among the Sixers who hit three-pointers in the first quarter. Bamba had an active and productive opening period, grabbing seven rebounds and blocking two shots in the first period.
