James Harden records 55 points as the Hornets fall to the underwhelming Clippers

Harden's 55 were the eighth most ever by a player against the Hornets.

Nov 22, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball (1) looks to pass as he is defended by Los Angeles Clippers center Brook Lopez (11) during the first half at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images | Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

Things were looking up headed into Saturday afternoon's matchup between the Charlotte Hornets and the Los Angeles Clippers, as the Hornets were given great news that Brandon Miller would be returning from a left shoulder injury after missing 13 straight games.

The Clippers, on the other hand, would be without star Kawhi Leonard again, relying on a renaissance year from James Harden to attempt to give the team their second win in November.

Harden did just that.

The former NBA MVP recorded 27 first quarter points, tying a career-high as the Clippers were able to get off to a 38-30 lead after one. It was a great start from Brandon Miller, though, who on the first offensive possession of the game for the Hornets hammered home a fast-break dunk on a pass from LaMelo Ball.

While a 16-5 run between the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third quarter was able to cut the Clippers' lead down to just two, the Clippers put the game to bed extremely quickly. They responded to the Hornets' run with a 22-6 run of their own, eventually extending the 2-point lead up to 22 points.

While there was some back-and-forth in the fourth quarter, the Clippers' offense was far too much to overcome for the Hornets, and James Harden nearly hit more threes than the entire Hornets roster.

Harden recorded 55 points, the eighth most ever by a player against the Hornets.

The Hornets fall to 4-12 on the season with a 131-116 loss, with a matchup against the Atlanta Hawks set for tomorrow.

Brandon Miller

The former 2nd overall pick played his second full game of the season today, looking healthy after missing the last 13 games.

While his shooting numbers were not exceptional, Miller recorded 21 points, a rebound, and three assists in 26 minutes for the Hornets. Head Coach Charles Lee said pregame that he would be on a minutes restriction for a time similar to LaMelo Ball's, and the wing played just 26 minutes today for the Hornets in the loss.

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