For the past five weeks as the Clippers swung from the extremes of six consecutive losses to five straight victories, and hitting every point on the spectrum of basketball success between those streaks, the most consistency they could point to was their durability.
James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George had started together in all 18 games since Harden’s arrival via trade, meaning that for all the tests the Clippers endured in those five weeks since Harden joined the lineup, the depth of their stars was not among them.
Until Thursday.
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With George out because of what the team called a sore hip, after injuring himself in a win Tuesday against Sacramento, Harden validated why he was brought to Los Angeles — to serve as a ceiling-raiser for the team when they are healthy, and superstar insurance when they are not.