Tag Archives: James Harden

Chris Paul says his strained left hamstring is close to 100 percent

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Chris Paul goes up for a shot in Game 4 with James Harden of the Rockets defending/Photo by Jae C. Hong, Associated Press

 

 

Chris Paul’s strained left hamstring is apparently getting better as each day passes. The Clippers’ point guard on Tuesday at the morning shootaround ahead of Game 5 at Toyota Center in Houston was asked about it, and he gave the injury positive reviews.

“Hamstring is OK,” said Paul, who missed the first two games of this Western Conference semifinals series before playing 23 and 26 minutes, respectively, the
past two. “It’s good. I’ll be on the court tonight.”

Paul was asked if the hamstring is close to 100 percent.

“Yeah, it’s getting there,” he said.

Coach Doc Rivers was queried as to whether he expects Paul could play more minutes in this one should the game be closer than the previous two, which were Clippers victories by 25 and 33 points.

“I haven’t talked about it yet,” Rivers said, when asked about a minutes restriction for Game 5. “My guess is, I’m sure there is some kind of limit, but probably he can play more than he played the first two games. He’s feeling a lot better.”

The Clippers lead the series 3-1. A victory in Game 5 would advance them to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

James Harden dislikes Hack-a-DJ, but Chris Paul has no issue with it

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DeAndre Jordan made 14 of 34 free throws in Sunday’s victory over the Houston Rockets/Staff photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News

 

There has been plenty of talk this season about whether the rule should be changed so the Hack-a-DJ strategy can’t be used. Rockets guard James Harden, for one, is not in
favor of the ploy that saw Clippers center DeAndre Jordan shoot 34 free throws in Sunday’s 128-95 victory over Houston in Game 4 at Staples Center.

“I mean, personally I don’t like it,” Harden said. “But I guess different coaches have their different philosophies on the game.”

Jordan shot 28 of his 34 free throws in the first half, which slowed down the game tremendously. There was a lot of standing around because of it, which is another element Harden doesn’t like.

“Yeah, it’s a little difficult,” he said. “That’s why at halftime you’ve got to get a good warm-up in. They jumped on us right … I think J.J. Redick had  two 3s coming out the third quarter, which gave them a 13-point lead and they took advantage of it from there. With this thing we’ve got to be alert at all times.

“We’ve got to know where guys are and know what’s going on in the game.”

The Clippers led just 60-54 at halftime and opened the third quarter on a 15-2 run to move to a 19-point lead at 75-56. Chris Paul had a 3-pointer during the onslaught, as did Redick.

Interestingly, Paul apparently does not think the Hack-a-DJ tactic should be abolished.

“I don’t know, it is what it is,” he said. “It’s part of the game. You know, people be talking about should they ban it, whatever. No, it’s part of the game.”

Hack-a-DJ sends DeAndre Jordan to FT line 28 times in half, Clippers up 60-54

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DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

With Hack-a-DJ being used to disgusting proportions, the Clippers on Sunday took a 60-54 lead over the Houston Rockets into the halftime break of Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinals at Staples Center.

Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan scored 12 points apiece in the half. Rockets coach Kevin McHale went to the Hack-a-DJ in the first quarter, with Jordan shooting 14 free throws, making seven. He shot 14 more in the second quarter, but made just three more to finish 10 of 28.

Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford scored eight points apiece and Austin Rivers had seven.

Trevor Ariza led Houston with 15 first-half points and Terrence Jones and James Harden each scored 10.

Five things to take from Clippers’ 124-99 Game 3 victory over the Rockets

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Austin Rivers

Austin Rivers/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

 

– First and foremost, I wonder how many haters out there still think Doc Rivers should not have brought his son Austin to the team in mid-January. Every time this 22-year-old has had a not-so-good showing, the Rivers duo has been ripped on Twitter. I’d like to see those same haters give credit where credit is due and tweet something positive. The younger Rivers had 25 points and shot 10 of 13 in this one. He was personally responsible for turning a close game into a rout. This is his third huge performance in 10 postseason games.

– The Clippers did a good job of holding James Harden to just five attempts from the free-throw line. That means they are playing good defense without fouling.
Harden was 15 of 15 from the free-throw line in Houston’s Game 2 victory.

– Chris Paul did just fine in his first game of this series after missing the first two with a strained left hamstring. Though he hid it well, one could tell he is not 100 percent just yet. But he said Saturday at practice that he’s fine and ready to roll in Game 4 Sunday. He had 12 points and seven assists Friday in 23-plus restricted minutes.

– The forgotten man, Spencer Hawes, was called on in this game after Blake Griffin took two early fouls. Hawes, who now has played in only four of the 10 postseason games, hit his first and only shot attempt – an 18-footer. He also had three rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 11-plus energetic minutes. “He played great,” Doc Rivers said. The Clippers may need to see more of Hawes, who, when he’s playing well can make a difference.

– With all the hoopla about Austin Rivers, let’s not forget how spectacular J.J. Redick was. Not only did he do a nice job of helping guard Harden, he scored a game-high 31 points. He made 11 of 14 from the field, 5 of 6 from 3-point range.

Chris Paul has six points, six assists as Clippers lead Rockets 64-57 at half

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Chris Paul

Chris Paul/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

 

J.J. Redick scored 16 points and Blake Griffin had 13 and the Clippers took a 64-57 lead over the Houston Rockets into the halftime break of Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinals series at Staples Center.

Chris Paul, playing for the first time in the series – which is tied 1-1 – because of a strained left hamstring, played 16 minutes and scored six points while doing out six assists. He made 3 of 9 from the field.

Sixth-man Jamal Crawford had nine points.

Dwight Howard led Houston with 14 points in the half, Terrence Jones scored 12, Jason Terry 11 and James Harden 10.

Matt Barnes fined $50,000 for verbal sparring with James Harden’s mom

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Matt Barnes

Matt Barnes/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

 

Los Angeles Clippers forward Matt Barnes told reporters at the Friday morning shootaround he expected to get fined for remarks made to a fan who turned out to be the mother of Houston Rockets’ guard James Harden during Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinals series Wednesday at Toyota Center in Houston.

Sure enough, he was fined $50,000 by the NBA for what it termed inappropriate language.

“We’ve made our peace,” Barnes said, before he was officially fined, of he and Harden’s mother, Monja Willis. “We’ve spoken twice since the incident. She said something, I said something back.”

Barnes said he had heard about some of what he supposedly said.

“I’ve heard speculation as to what I allegedly said, which is crazy,” Barnes said. “Crazy, untrue, crazy. But it is what it is.”

Barnes, who said he received a “tongue-lashing” from Clippers coach Doc Rivers, wouldn’t say what was actually said.

“That’s between her and I,” he said.

Barnes had just received a technical foul late in the first quarter Wednesday after bumping Harden. Barnes said he didn’t know who was chirping at him.

“I had no idea who it was,” he said. “I didn’t find out who it was until I was on the bus. But I saw D.J. (DeAndre Jordan) speak to her at halftime as well and I was like, ‘Who was that?’ He’s like, ‘Jame’s Harden’s mom.’ “I was like, ‘Oh, God, that’s going to make it a hundred times worse.’ I don’t know her, I don’t really know James too well and like I said, we’ve made our peace and we’re focused on winning this game.”

All that said, Barnes – speaking in generalities – doesn’t like the idea that fans can say whatever they want without suffering any repercussions.

“Well, what’s crazy is they can say anything and everything from things about our kids to our wives to anything and we say one thing and they run and tell and next thing you know, I’m proably going to get fined $25,000,” he said, before knowing it was $50,000. “So, I think I heard D.J. say and D-Wade (Dwyane Wade) said it before, you know, we’re human, too. You know what I mean?

“But they can pick and prod us like animals in a cage and run and tell when we respond. So if you don’t want nothing said to you, don’t say nothing to begin
with.”

Rivers wouldn’t say what he said to Barnes.

“I’m not going to talk about that much,” he said prior to Friday’s Game 3 tip-off at Staples Center. “I just was not pleased. I made that clear. And I made it clear to Matt and the entire team. So I’m just going to leave it at that.”

Harden talked briefly about the incident at the Rockets’ morning shootaround.

“Any situation where you’re talking about somebody else’s parents, that’s just disrespectful,” Harden said. “I’m focused on Game 3 and we’re very focused and locked in. There will be some great intensity tonight.”