A Tuesday night contest between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers may appear as just a matchup against two of the best teams in the Western Conference, but there's much more emotion than that. After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was infamously traded to the Thunder in the Paul George deal, this contest has always meant a little more to him.

To the surprise of nobody, Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 30 points, helping secure the Thunder's eight-straight win to begin the 2025-26 season after winning the NBA title in June. While it was an uninspiring performance by the Clippers, the absences of Kawhi Leonard and Bradley Beal didn't help. After the game, James Harden kept it real with what the team needs to fix.

James Harden's Honest Thoughts On Improvements

"Lineups, rotations, and figuring out who fits with who. We're a fairly new team. It's not even about the Thunder, it's about us," Harden said. While the Clippers returned a lot of players from their surprise 50-win team a season ago, there are still plenty of players trying to get integrated into this team.

Looking at the players who just played tonight, John Collins, Brook Lopez, and Chris Paul weren't part of the team last year, and Bogdan Bogdanovic didn't join the Clippers till midseason. Factoring in Beal, who was sidelined in Tuesday's loss, there are a lot of key players that Ty Lue has to incorporate, and all the players have to figure out who works with whom, fit, and chemistry-wise.

While the starting five for the Clippers featured familiar faces, it's hard for the team to establish a rhythm when the same unit isn't able to start consistently. Even though the Thunder aren't at full strength, they are starting a lineup where all the players are familiar with one another, and as Harden says, the issues have nothing to do with the Thunder.

The Clippers might've had a chance to secure back-to-back wins at home, but they've instead dropped their last two games as they head on the road to face the Suns. Even though some fans might jump to conclusions with a 3-4 record early, Harden emphasized "don't overreact," understanding that's what can derail a season early.

They'll now head on the road to face the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, who are coming off a loss to the Golden State Warriors. With tip-off set for 9:00 p.m. EST, the Clippers will look to avoid three-straight losses and hope good news is on the horizon for their injured stars.