In a season marked by injuries, inconsistency, and unmet expectations, James Harden picked the perfect moment to spark the fire again.

In the NBA Cup matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Clippers veteran put the entire team on his back and delivered a performance that immediately enters franchise lore.

With Kawhi Leonard still sidelined due to ankle and foot issues and Bradley Beal expected to miss the rest of the season, Harden’s offensive burden skyrocketed. In Dallas, in a tight game that stretched to double overtime, the No. 1 answered with a throwback MVP-level performance: 41 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists, leading L.A. to a 133-127 victory.

We’re going to continue to be determined. We’re going to keep fighting. And tonight was one of those moments.

James Harden

The numbers aren’t just impressive – they’re historic. Harden is now the first Clippers player in 56 years to record a 40-point triple-double. No one in the history of the franchise had ever done it. And there’s more: at 36 years and 81 days, he’s now the oldest player in NBA history to accomplish the feat, surpassing legends like Larry Bird.

The irony is that Harden is no longer seen as the dominant superstar he once was. Yet when the situation demands it, he remains one of the few NBA players still capable of completely influencing a game. With the Clippers missing playmakers and buried in a full-blown crisis (six straight losses heading into the Dallas game), Harden became the team’s lone source of offensive structure and creation.

The win lifts L.A. to 4-8, far from the expectations set this summer when many analysts viewed the Clippers as one of the best-constructed teams in the Western Conference. Instead, things unraveled quickly: Beal never found a rhythm, Chris Paul and Brook Lopez looked out of shape, and John Collins has struggled to make any consistent impact.

In the middle of it all, Harden is trying to hold things together. The question is how long he can keep doing it. The season is long, the workload is enormous, and age is a real factor. That’s why Leonard’s return will be essential – without real support, Harden risks burning himself out before the season even reaches its decisive months.

For now, though, the snapshot is of a special night – one of those moments when talent, even when it seems to be fading, suddenly shines brighter than expected. And for the Clippers, now more than ever, that light is indispensable.