‘That’s What I’m Here For!’ James Harden Reacts To 22-0 Run Clippers Comeback Win Against Nets

‘That’s What I’m Here For!’ James Harden Reacts To 22-0 Run Clippers Comeback Win Against Nets

Uh James congrats on the win what was the biggest difference for you for you guys in the fourth quarter as opposed to the first three quarters because it seems like in the first three quarters you guys struggle point of attack defensively and then tyou mentioned you

As well when he was in here he talking about you guarding the ball and you acceped a challenge what was the difference for you individually and you guys as a team in that fourth quarter uh our defense they scored 15 points in that in that fourth quarter you know

Simple as that we’re engaged we’re doing the things necessary to guard and get stops consecutively you know we’re we’re extremely like unbeatable team you know what I mean it’s where we just feel like we’re going through the motions and team score to get confident start they start

Making shots like we knew coming into the game they were going to shoot a lot of Threes they shot like 14 at first quarter you know what I mean so uh they came off punched Us in the mouth and we just that fourth quarter We we played Clipper basketball and and got some

Stops and you know everything else was history James it feels like uh when the team is down and you feel like you need this team to pick their energy up on the court you hit the paint like you you make sure that it’s not just on step backs you’re you’re touching paint

Either whe you’re scoring or you’re setting guys up like how how are you reading the game and and when do you determine that that’s what you got to do I think my job for this team is to touch the paint you know what I mean um and

Get a shot you know make the shot make the game a lot easier for a teammate so with I got my step back going get into the paint you know I’m going to make a a play whether it’s for opponent me our teammate to score or make a pass pass

And we score from that so uh they they did a really good job of switching I think they’re they got the second most switches in the league so we knew they were going to switch so it’s getting into the paint and then creting a domino effect from there James uh right over

Here you you mentioned obviously a lot of people remember those defensive stops late in the game those big plays but it seems like after the team had a little bit of trouble with shots going in you were you you were just on 100 you got to the line you’re making transition

Buckets what was the biggest part before that fourth quarter that that elevated your game I think I think giving us a a boost you know I mean that’s what I’m here for uh finding ways to impact the game and and when we kind of down and we not we

Don’t got things going or things seem like they you know are are not in our favor just you know Finding ways to to put it in our favor and uh scoring the basketball gave us a little bit more momentum and then we just kept telling ourselves getting under under 10 under

10 and our defense hit that switch and you know after that like we all got it going so uh for me is just not just scoring not just facilitating defensively getting stops finding ways to impact the game because in like in the postseason things aren’t going to be

Pretty you know what I mean so for us is just finding other ways to win a game and I don’t think we had a game like this yet thus far so it feel really good that we can you know what I mean like obviously we don’t want to you know be

Down double digits and down 20 points or what not but to have that confidence that we are good enough to come back and and lock in when time to lock in gives us a little bit more confidence James we often talk about how the things that don’t show up

On the stat sheet Russ thank the fans after the game how much energy do you all get from them when you’re on the court it was like a party in night today it was like energy was like on on 100 like literally you know what I mean that

I mean obviously fans come and they cheer and they you know enjoy the game and whatnot but like that right there is like homec court advantage like that’s what it’s about and uh you know the more we keep winning the more we keep you know training in the right direction I

Think they’ll start buying in and giving us that energy every single night for even with nights like us as players we are human you know what I mean so as much as y’all come to watch the show and watch us perform there’s days where we

Do have slow starts and we like you know I mean this is the 40 of the game you know I mean we need that energy to extra boost and tonight was a prime example of that hey James uh as a spec watching that final 5 minutes you guys had the

220 run was crazy to watch but for you as a player what’s going through your guys’ head cuz I know by the end it kind of hit hit yall when you all started celebrating on the court after one of the dagger threes but just what’s going through your head during that

Run keep getting stops offensively I think we were getting whatever we wanted I think defensively it was just like at that point you got to guard your man you got to guard your because we are small so when you’re small like that um you know you know we don’t really have Rim

Protection you know I mean so it starts with on on ball defense so I think in the first three quarters we were kind of relying on our help side and things like that and then the fourth quarter we just said all you got to guard your man and

And and be the first uh first point of attack so for us you know that was the mindset and then when we kind of got gained our confidence it was over because we had confidence on the defensive and and offensively we just we got you know transition layups and dunks

And and three so um as a coaches mindset he would like us to start the game like that but I’m just happy we got a win James I I I think it was late November when um tyd said that he basically looked at the the all wi lineups the small lineups without Center

And he wanted to use those as a last resort he just didn’t like the way they are looking at that point tonight obviously the small lineup gets you guys back in that game did you guys feel like the course of the last two months as things have turned around for you guys

That anything stood out maybe encouragingly about the way you guys can play with small lineups again is it showing signs progress tonight was definitely or today was definitely one of one of those encouraging like moments um you know like this this this more basketball this season next like

Any season like things happen you know I mean whether it’s injuries whether whatever happens you know what I mean so for us I think just finding ways to continue to get better finding ways to win games you know whether it’s a small ball lineup whether it’s now okay zo is

Out who’s going to fulfill his role who’s going to contribute um okay you know I mean we got to make an adjustment now we got to go small um you know so like it’s just things happen throughout the course of the year and the team that can that

Can pick up on that and and find ways to win no matter what um you know you get yourself a chance to be the last team standing so for us we have a lot of different opportunities and and variety of matchups that we can that we can go

With and tonight we went small ball and it paid off so uh we watch film get better and figure out how we can continue to get better with that small lineup and then um against switching teams thanks

Los Angeles clippers guard James Harden speaks to media after clippers complete 22 points comeback win against Brooklyn Nets. Clippers game today. Clippers postgame interview.