The Los Angeles Clippers continue to play their best basketball of the season, and their young players are a big part of the reason why.
The Clippers (19-23) picked up their sixth straight win on Monday with a hard-fought 110-106 victory over the Washington Wizards (10-32), and they did it without star Kawhi Leonard who sat out with a sprained right ankle.
Harden Gives Credit Where It's Due
After the game, veteran guard James Harden was asked about the young players stepping up, and his response was short and to the point.
"That's their job...they've been more than prepared...credit to those guys," Harden said postgame.
The simple quote says a lot about what Harden expects from his teammates and how the young players on this roster have earned his respect.
With Leonard sidelined, players like Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders were called upon to carry a bigger load, and they delivered when it mattered most.
Miller was fantastic in the overtime win over Toronto as well, playing a career-high 46 minutes off the bench and finishing with 19 points along with six assists and four steals.
The third-year forward out of Miami has really come into his own during this stretch, averaging 15.0 points per game over his last five outings while shooting the ball with confidence from deep.
Sanders, the rookie out of Nevada, also played big minutes and chipped in 13 points in 37 minutes of action against the Raptors last week as well.
He even hit a clutch free throw with seven seconds left to help seal the final margin after the Raptors had cut the lead to just one point.
Road Trip Success Sets the Tone
The win over Washington marked the second stop on the Clippers' three-game road trip through Toronto, Washington, and Chicago.
Los Angeles is looking to keep the momentum going as they now head to the Windy City to wrap up the trip against the Chicago Bulls (20-22) on Tuesday night.
Head coach Ty Lue has been vocal about how much the young players have meant to this team during the recent hot streak, calling out Miller and Sanders by name after multiple games.
The Clippers have now won 13 of their last 15 games after a brutal 6-21 start that had many wondering if the season was already lost.
With Leonard being sent home for treatment on his knee and expected to miss the rest of the road trip, the young players will need to continue stepping up if Los Angeles wants to keep climbing the Western Conference standings.
Based on what Harden has seen so far, he has no doubt they will be ready for the challenge.