TORONTO, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden recorded 22 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his first triple-double of the season in a 127-107 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
It was the 75th overall for the 15-year NBA veteran, who ranks 8th all-time in triple-doubles with teammate Russell Westbrook leading the way with 198. Among active players, Harden ranks No. 4 behind Westbrook, Nikola Jokic (118) and LeBron James (109).
With the win, the Clippers have won four straight to improve to 29-14 on the season and 10-10 on the road.
Since the start of December 2023, the team has won a league-best 21 out of 25 games and leapt from an 8-10 record to a top four seed in the West. During this span, 34-year-old Harden, acquired from the Philadelphia Sixers on Nov. 1, has orchestrated the team's offense, averaging 18.5 points and 9.9 assists per game.
In Friday's game, Harden did most of his damage in the first half with 17 points, eight assists and four rebounds. Going up 66-52 at halftime, Los Angeles maintained its double-figure advantage for the entirety of the second half.
"Acquiring James makes it much easier for those guys, keeping everybody happy," said Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue after the win. "It makes it a lot easier on Kawhi (Leonard) and PG (Paul George) not to have to make every play themselves."
Leonard, a two-time NBA Champion with the Spurs (2014) and the Raptors (2019), finished with a modest 16 points as he sat out the entire fourth quarter. George, an eight-time All-Star, had 21 points.
Westbrook led bench players with 20 points and extended his streak of double-digit scoring to six consecutive games.
Big man Mason Plumlee scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. ■
