In case you were busy watching college football, there was an NBA game on Saturday afternoon, and it turned out to be quite eventful. The Los Angeles Clippers rolled to a 131-116 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, and in the process Clippers star guard James Harden made some major franchise history.
JAMES HARDEN HAS THE MOST POINTS SCORED IN A SINGLE GAME IN FRANCHISE HISTORY
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 22, 2025
Harden dropped 55 points against Charlotte, which represents the highest-scoring game in Clippers history. Charles Smith and Bob McAdoo shared the record previously, as both players scored 52 points in a game.
When asked about the accomplishment after the game, Harden kept the focus on the team.
“I’m just glad we won,” he said.
It’s an understandable response from Harden, as wins have been hard to come by for L.A. The win over Charlotte was just the fifth victory in their first 16 games of the season for the Clippers. Given that overall record, Harden likely isn’t in the mood to celebrate an individual accomplishment.
Believe it or not, the 55 points scored against Charlotte isn’t even close to a career high for Harden. 61 points is Harden’s career high. He hit that number twice. He’s also scored 60, 59, 58, 57 and 56 at various times throughout his career.
Harden now holds the record for most points scored in a game for two teams. He also holds the Houston Rockets' record with 61 points. He's the first player in NBA history to hold that distinction for two separate franchises.