Clippers' Kawhi Leonard, James Harden get real on NBA All-Star voting

01/27/2025 01:59 PM

LOS ANGELES, CA — Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers surprised a lot of people when they were able to take out the red hot Milwaukee Bucks thanks to massive scoring performances from James Harden and Norman Powell.

Winners of eight of their previous nine games, Milwaukee had climbed all the way back to fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 25-17 record after starting the year just 2-8.

Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard, James Harden on NBA All-Star voting

The Clippers handed the Bucks their 18th loss of the season, 127-117, on Saturday night. James Harden finished with a game-high 40 points, five rebounds, and nine assists on 12-of-24 shooting from the field and 12-of-12 from the free throw line. LA improved to a perfect 13-0 when Harden attempts at least 10 free throws this season.

Norman Powell also poured in 33 points with six rebounds, and three steals on 11-of-23 shooting from the field. The Clippers improved to 22-8 — a .733 winning percentage — when Powell scores at least 18 points in a game this season.

Kawhi Leonard was again limited to just 24 minutes of play, finishing with 18 points, three rebounds, and four assists on 8-of-17 shooting from the field. Despite not having Leonard for the final 16 minutes of the game, the Clippers were able to overcome Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard in large part because of Harden and Powell.

“[James Harden] and [Norman Powell] closing out that game was special,” Kawhi Leonard said of watching his potential All-Star teammates lead the team to a win. “It was great, very special. Them taking on the challenge, getting to their spots. They made it look easy.”

Antetokounmpo scored 36 point and grabbed 13 rebounds while Damian Lillard finished with a 29-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in the loss. The two stars for the Milwaukee Bucks attempted more free throws (32) than everybody else in the game combined.

At this stage, who has more of a case to be named an NBA All-Star? That’s been really difficult to predict.

“They’ve been playing great all year,” Kawhi Leonard added. “There’s a lot of politics in it. I’m not sure if they’re going to give us two players. Hopefully they do. They’ve been playing at a high level.

In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints, Clippers guard Norman Powell said he fully believes he’s an NBA All-Star this season.

"I think I’ve been playing at an All-Star level all season," Norman Powell told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview leading up to All-Star announcements. "Honestly, I don’t like talking about myself, but I mean, numbers don’t lie on where I’m at, what I’m averaging, what I’m doing across the board, and then the efficiency that I’m playing with.

"I see myself as an All-Star, I want to be an All-Star, and I think I am."

James Harden didn’t mince words, but he also elected not to lead an NBA All-Star for himself.

“It would mean a lot,” James Harden explained. “I think it would be my 10th or 11th. Just being one of the top 24 players in this league, I feel like I deserve it, but I’m not gonna go on a campaign for myself. I just go out there, put the work in, and it is what it is.

“We’re, what top five or top six? [Norm] is shooting the ball at a high clip, leading our team in scoring. And there you go. Somebody’s gotta make it. Like, we’ve put the work in and we’re put ourselves in a really good position. That’s out of our control. The people who decided and vote, vote. For us, I think we’re just focused on continuing to rack up these wins because we’ve got a bigger goal than All-Star Games.”

40 for James Harden. pic.twitter.com/ZAMO9VPNof

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) January 26, 2025

In 42 appearances this season, James Harden is averaging 21.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three. Harden is one of just three players in the West averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds, and eight assists. The 10-time NBA All-Star has recorded three 40-point games this season and another with 39 points and 11 assists as well.

Norman Powell is averaging 23.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 3.5 made three-pointers per game on 49 percent shooting from the field and 43.1 percent from three. Powell has scored 20+ points in 28 of the 37 games he’s played this season.

The Clippers’ leading scorer has also reached double-figure scoring in a quarter 32 different times this season. According to Stathead, that’s the 16th most of any player this season, directly behind guys like Kevin Durant (33), Damian Lillard (34), LaMelo Ball (34), and Donovan Mitchell (37). That’s also ahead of guys like Jaylen Brown (29), De’Aaron Fox (29), Trae Young (29), Cade Cunningham (29), and LeBron James (28).

The league will announce the reserves on Thursday, January 30th in a special NBA on TNT broadcast. Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers are hoping to see both James Harden and Norman Powell’s names called.

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