James Harden Links With NFL Star After 50-Point Outing vs Pistons

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On Wednesday night, the Detroit Pistons traveled to the new Intuit Dome to take on the LA Clippers. They kept things competitive until the very end, but were unable to overcome a massive scoring night from a former NBA MVP.
Detroit was unable to stay in the win column, losing to the Clippers by a final score of 123-115. The biggest storyline from the game was the play of James Harden. He erupted for a season-high 50 points to lead his team to victory.
Similar to his prime years with the Houston Rockets, Harden did a lot of his damage from the free-throw line. He'd up shooting 20 free-throws on the night, more than the Pistons shot as an entire team (19).
Coming off arguably his best outing of the season, Harden was seen out and about celebrating the Clippers' win. He posted a photo on X (formerly Twitter) of him hanging out with Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby.
Earned Not Given! @CrosbyMaxx 💰 #Uno pic.twitter.com/ZHZ7sacZ1X
— James Harden (@JHarden13) March 6, 2025
There's something ironic about Harden linking up with Crosby after the win, as the latter has been an avid supporter of the Pistons this season. Back in February, the Raiders posted on X to show his excitement for Detroit being a competitive franchise in the NBA again.
So Dope To See The Pistons Ballin Again… Been Too Damn Long💯 @DetroitPistons 🔥🔥🔥
— Maxx Crosby (@CrosbyMaxx) February 9, 2025
Cade Cunningham did all he could to try and go toe-to-toe with Harden, but his 50-point barrage was too much to overcome in the end. The Pistons star had a standout performance of his own, finishing the night with 37 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists.
Following their battle with the Clippers, Detroit finds themselves with an extended break in the schedule. They'll return to action on Saturday night to take on Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
More Pistons on SI
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Since graduating from Holy Family University with a degree in Sports Management, he's gone on to pursue a career in journalism covering the NBA. Some of his previous bylines include 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, and Sportskeeda.