Intuit Dome opens with OT thriller as Clippers fall to Suns

James Harden's 29 not enough to lift Clippers to opening night win.

(Photo credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- James Harden sat in his chair, dancing and rapping to the lyrics playing over the public address system inside the expansive Intuit Dome home locker room. Roughly 90 minutes before the opening tip, the LA Clippers guard was a picture of calm, pointing at Kobe Brown from across the carpeted room and cracking jokes with the second-year forward.

When the ball was tossed in the air to begin the game, Harden’s dancing didn’t stop as he frequently played harmonic melodies on the court, leading him to finish with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists in 40 minutes. No one on Wednesday night scored more, grabbed more rebounds, or assisted more made baskets than the 35-year-old guard.

Unfortunately for the Clippers, it didn’t end in a win as the Phoenix Suns triumphed 116-113 in an overtime thriller.

“Individually for me, I got to play way better,” Harden told reporters after the game. “I think it was just having that week off, getting adjusted to the pace of the game. All of the above.”