IT TOOK 94 seconds for James Harden to show the NBA why the LA Clippers had spent the better part of five maddening months trying to acquire him.
On his very first touch as a member of the Clippers, Harden stood on the right wing of the Madison Square Garden floor. With New York Knicks guard Quentin Grimes on his hip, Harden used a screen from 7-footer Ivica Zubac to get downhill to the paint. Center Mitchell Robinson, New York's chief disruptor on defense with his 7-foot-4 wingspan, had stepped up to the top of the key to seal off the drive.