On December 19, the Pacers hosted the Clippers James Harden and became the focus of the game. His performance was quite impressive, with 35 points, three rebounds and nine assists.
At the beginning of the game, the Pacers had a slight lead, but Harden's excellent play gradually changed the course of the game. Brown and Jackson gave up for the Pacers, but Hield and Mathurin made it possible for the Clippers to overtake late in the first quarter, which ended with the Pacers 38-37 Clippers.
Heading into the second quarter, the Pacers tried to catch up, with Toppin and McConnell playing to widen the gap. Harden's Clippers tightened the score, and George and Leonard's play in the latter part of the quarter helped the Clippers complete the comeback, and at halftime, the Clippers 77-66 Pacers.
In the third quarter, Zubac's three-point shot opened the second half, and the Clippers took advantage of the situation to open up the difference. The Pacers tried to catch up with the score on the perimeter with players like Haliburton. Powell's back-to-back three-pointers helped extend the Clippers' lead at the end of the third quarter, with the Clippers 114-94 Pacers at the end of the third quarter.
In the final quarter, Nesmith's outside performance helped the Pacers retain a glimmer of hope for the game, but Harden's 21-point play in a single quarter completely crushed the Pacers' comeback. The Pacers struggled to chase the points, but were powerless to change the situation, and in the end, the Clippers defeated the Pacers 151-127 and sent their opponents on a four-game losing streak.
Game stats: Clippers (16-10): James Harden 35 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists;Kawhi Leonard 28 points;Paul George 27 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists;Ivica Zubac 18 points, 16 rebounds and 3 assists;Russell Westbrook had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
Pacers (13-12): Benedict Mathurin 34 points and 6 rebounds;Isaiah Jackson 15 points and 4 rebounds;Obi Toppin 14 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists;Buddy Hield 14 points and 4 assists;Bruce Brown had 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.