A pair of long-distance shooting legends will face off on Monday when the Los Angeles Clippers host the Golden State Warriors in Inglewood, California.
James Harden of the Clippers moved into second place all-time in three-pointers made, hitting a shot from beyond the arc in the first quarter of Sunday’s 116-105 victory over the Utah Jazz, which ended a three-game road losing streak for Los Angeles. The first of Harden’s two made three-pointers on the night gave him 2,974, moving him past Ray Allen. The all-time leader in three-pointers made is the Warriors’ Stephen Curry, who is far ahead with 3,782.
To put on a long-distance shooting showcase on Monday, Harden will need to improve upon his 2-of-8 shooting performance from beyond the arc against the Jazz. Despite that, he finished with 20 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds without any turnovers from the point-guard spot.
Ivica Zubac contributed 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Norman Powell added 19 points as the Clippers secured their fourth consecutive home victory after losing their first four games of the season in their new arena. The Clippers led by as many as 23 points in the third quarter but had to hold off a late rally from the Jazz, who cut the lead to single digits with just over four minutes remaining. Los Angeles finished with nine turnovers.
The Warriors come into the game on a three-game winning streak, having won eight of their past nine games, including a 123-118 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. The contest was notable for Draymond Green intentionally tripping the Grizzlies’ Zach Edey, a move later upgraded to a Flagrant 1. Green was ejected late in the game after earning two technical fouls, and head coach Steve Kerr also received a technical in the closing moments.
Curry was held to 13 points on 3-of-7 shooting from three-point range on Friday and added eight rebounds. He took just one shot from the floor in the first quarter and made his first basket, a three-pointer, with less than three minutes remaining in the first half.
Buddy Hield led the Warriors with 18 points off the bench and has averaged 17.7 points this season, his first with the team. Golden State’s bench contributed 67 points to secure the victory.
