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Detroit Pistons Coach Gets Honest on James Harden’s Massive Game

JB Bickerstaff credited James Harden but also got critical of the big game.
Justin Grasso|
Feb 26, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) looks towards former Chicago Bulls player Pat Beverley, who was on the sidelines, after scoring against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Feb 26, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) looks towards former Chicago Bulls player Pat Beverley, who was on the sidelines, after scoring against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

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Detroit PistonsLos Angeles Clippers

On the road against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Detroit Pistons knew they had to contain James Harden. With guys like Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell sidelined for the night. Harden was the clear-cut go-to scorer for Los Angeles.

Taking 24 shots from the field, Harden was sharp in that department as he drained nearly 60 percent of his field goals and hit six three-pointers.

After the game, Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff credited Harden for being an elite scorer, but added that the Pistons’ defensive struggles against the 11-time All-Star could have a lot to do with the way the game was being called.

“Give him a ton of credit, but if you’re not allowed to put your body on him legally and he’s allowed to shoot 20 free throws, you’re not going to be able to guard him,” Bickerstaff told reporters.

“He’s an elite offensive weapon. He can score in a bunch of ways, but when he’s allowed to get to the free throw line 20 times, it just makes your job extremely difficult.”

As a team, the Clippers went to the free-throw line 26 times. Harden was there for all but six of those attempts. Being a sharpshooter from the charity stripe, Harden produced 16 of his points there. To compare, the All-Star guard shot more free throws than the entire Pistons team together.

Harden finished Wednesday’s matchup with 50 points. He’s now one 50-point game away from tying Kobe Bryant on the all-time leaderboard for 50-point games. Along with his scoring, Harden totaled four rebounds and five assists.

The Clippers got revenge on the Pistons a couple of weeks after losing to them in Detroit. A 123-115 loss for the Pistons dropped them to 35-28 on the year. They still have a cushion for the sixth seed but fall 1.5 games behind the Indiana Pacers.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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