Clippers obliterate Hornets behind Harden’s 55-point outing

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Los Angeles Clippers pulled off a convincing road victory after crushing the Charlotte Hornets, 131-116, in the ongoing NBA regular season on Nov. 23, 2025, at the Spectrum Center.

With the much-needed win, the Clippers finally returned to the NBA win column, ending their three-game skid to cap off the week with a morale-boosting dub.

After losing two tightly contested games against Boston and Philadelphia while conceding a 28-point gap to the Magic, the Clippers regained their footing during the inter-conference matchup, visiting Charlotte with cruel intentions led by superstar guard James Harden.

Harden set a new franchise record for the most points scored by any player wearing the Clippers jersey as the hefty leftie dropped 55 points on the Hornets, built from an efficient 17-of-26 shooting from the field, including 10 three-pointers and 11 converted free throws.

It was not only a blowout circus of offensive showing, but the Clippers badly needed Harden’s scoring production to slow down a waxing-hot start dished out by the Hornets.

Charlotte came out running the ground in the first five minutes of the ball game, burying seven out of their first eight attempts, but Harden came to the rescue as he exploded for 27 quick points in the opening frame to erase an early deficit.

The former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) kicked off the game with five three-pointers, steering the Clippers to a come-from-behind first-quarter showing after trailing by eight points, en route to retaking the advantage with a 14-point lead.

From that point, the Hornets never recovered and faced an inspired Harden, who turned back the hands of time, much like a time machine teleporting the NBA to the 2017-2018 season, where he dominated the league offensively.

Since joining the Clippers, Harden admitted that he had to switch his game to a point guard that would complement the game of Kawhi Leonard, but with the star forward still out of the rotation, the floor general had to turn into an offensive-minded hooper to help Los Angeles get out of their slump.

Harden’s switch from facilitating to attacking was evident in his past seven games, averaging almost 35 points per game — just like his MVP season when he was still playing for the Houston Rockets.

The Clippers built their largest lead of the ball game to 24 points, which Charlotte never trimmed to a single-possession setup.

Aside from his superb scoring, Harden still navigated the best options for his teammates as he dished out seven assists while pulling down three rebounds.

Also stepping up for the struggling Clippers was Ivica Zubac, who nearly had a triple-double stat line of 18 markers, nine boards, and six dimes.

The Clippers will aim to maintain their momentum today as they face Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Hornets gun for a win against the Atlanta Hawks.