Harden outscored the Jazz 24-20 by himself in the opening quarter, shooting 6 of 9 from the floor, including 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. He also earned trips to the line twice while shooting 3-pointers, converting 7 of 8 free throws. Harden’s early scoring spree gave the Clippers a 44-20 lead at the end of the first period, including back-to-back 3-pointers in the final 34 seconds.

By halftime, the Clippers were up 81-47, their highest first-half point total since December 1, 2019. Los Angeles shot a blistering 63.4% from the field and 65% (13 of 20) from 3-point range in the first half, while Utah struggled, shooting just 39% overall and 31.6% (6 of 19) from deep.