The Clippers eased to beat the Kings 119-99 in their most recent NBA Western Conference matchup to snap their fifth straight victory. Smallcard showed great ability, and Harden officially launched his performance with the team. At the start of the game, the two sides were evenly matched, but then the Clippers launched back-to-back scoring to establish a 7-0 offensive lead.
A three-point shootout ensued, with the Clippers extending their lead and the Kings falling into a scoring drought. The Clippers' back-to-back scoring helped the Clippers extend their lead to 30 points at one point, but the Clippers were thrown into chaos during Harden's break, and the Kings seized the opportunity to chase the points. At the end of the first half, the Clippers still led by 22 points, but George withdrew from the game due to injury.
At the start of the second half, Xiaoka and Harden joined forces to consolidate the lead, once again stretching the difference to more than 30 points, making the Kings unable to recover, and finally forced to replace the main player to admit defeat. He played 31 minutes, shooting 14-of-11 from the field and hitting two three-pointers to finish with 31 points, four rebounds and three assists. Harden contributed 15 points, six rebounds and seven assists in the first three quarters.
Bench player Powell also had a great performance, contributing 15 points, one rebound and two assists. After the game, the team's coach Lue talked about George's injury, saying that George could actually return to the game in the second half if needed. The Kings were on a team-apart and only three players scored in double figures, with Sabonis contributing 15 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, Fox having 14 points, three rebounds and three assists, and Murray finishing with 17 points and seven rebounds.
The Clippers have a 10-3 record in their last 13 games, bringing the team's overall record to 13-10, officially surpassing the Rockets (11-9) to move up to seventh in the West and continuing to chase the Lakers (14-10).