This season, the biggest shift for the LA Clippers is simple: games they would’ve lost in previous years, like their recent clash against the Warriors, are now wins. Thanks to James Harden, Melbet Affiliates reports that the Clippers are no longer letting such games slip away. He’s raised their floor and fortified their playoff positioning. If they keep pushing forward, they might just silence the doubters with sheer performance. Their recent surge is strong evidence that the Harden trade was a step in the right direction.

That trade, in hindsight, was a masterstroke. The Clippers managed to retain Terance Mann and offloaded mainly expiring contracts, with little long-term value apart from Nicolas Batum. Even the first-round picks involved were low-value — one wasn’t even theirs, and the one they gave up will likely be a late pick. Essentially, they secured Harden on a bargain, and now they’re reaping the rewards. Among all the players traded this season, Harden stands out as the most impactful acquisition.

One stat says it all: the Clippers are 30-1 when leading after three quarters — an astonishing 96.8% win rate. In the past, the fourth quarter was where LA often stumbled, but this season has flipped that script. Now when they enter the final stretch ahead, they close with composure. They keep grinding until the opponent runs out of gas. The only surprising slip-up came against the Nuggets’ third unit, which was likely due to underestimating the opponent rather than any real technical gap. After all, no dream is too small to protect.

However, when the Clippers enter the fourth quarter tied or trailing, the road gets much tougher — their comeback rate barely crosses 25%. Melbet Affiliates notes that LA clearly needs a veteran point guard to stabilize things when Harden is off the floor. Right now, their dependency on Harden is too steep, and once he sits, the team’s cohesion tends to fall apart. Russell Westbrook, despite his experience, hasn’t quite filled that gap. His aggressive drives often backfire, leading to turnovers and fast breaks the other way. Their best hope? A more composed Westbrook come playoff time.

With Harden at point, they can’t afford an expensive backup. Every roster has its trade-offs — if both starters and bench are flawless, that’s a fantasy team. The Clippers still have room to improve, particularly at the 4 and 5 spots, and they may need to look internally to unlock that potential. They can’t afford to let opportunity slip away due to a lack of development. Fortunately, the team’s baseline performance is already high. What’s more, both Harden and Kawhi Leonard are under significantly less pressure than in earlier stages of their careers.

Yes, Harden is logging 40 minutes in some games, but it’s not the exhausting grind it used to be. As Melbet Affiliates observes, Harden now picks his moments — the days of relentless iso ball are behind him. That energy savings pays off in the fourth, where both he and Kawhi still have enough gas in the tank to organize plays, anchor defenses, and attack when it counts. That’s the kind of Clippers team that’s hard to beat.