INGLEWOOD — James Harden was gone. Darius Garland was here and neither point guard suited up when their new teams faced each other on Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome.
In an odd confluence of trades and scheduling, the Clippers’ first game without their 11-time All-Star point guard was against the team he joined via Tuesday’s trade. Same for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Clippers and Cavaliers exchanged point guards in a one-for-one trade that also included a future second-round draft pick going to the Clippers.
“I mean, it’s awkward for them. It’s awkward for us over these last couple of games,” Clippers guard Kris Dunn said. “Everything kind of changed, but we’re adjusting. I think this year we had to adjust on the fly with a lot of things going on from the start of season to now.”
Amid the roster changes, there was still a game to play, and the Clippers couldn’t overcome the distractions and lost to the Cavs 124-91 on Wednesday in the first game of the post-Harden era.
The lopsided loss was the second defeat in a row for the Clippers (23-27), slowing the run of victories that got them within sight of a .500 record.
“Keeping your head down, focus, keep grinding, keeping the energy and the spirit, right attitude and everybody just do their job and then this is the opportunity for the next man to step up,” Dunn said of what the Clippers need to do moving forward.
Garland, who has missed the past two weeks and has played just 26 games this season because of toe injuries, is expected to be on the court after the All-Star break. He will add quickness, not to mention youth, to a Clippers’ lineup that could use some of both.
“We got younger, we got a two-time All-Star who can play basketball and it (the trade) worked for both sides,” Coach Tyronn Lue said.
The Clippers could have used that energy on Wednesday, especially on offense. Kawhi Leonard scored 25 points, his 29th consecutive game with 20-plus points, and had seven rebounds and four assists. John Collins (19 points, seven rebounds) and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser (10 points, eight rebounds) were the only other players to score in double figures as the hosts shot 46.3% (37 for 80) from the field and a woeful 21.4% (6 for 28) from 3-point range while turning the ball over 24 times (for 47 Cleveland points).
Donovan Mitchell paced the Cavaliers with 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field and 3-of-9 from long range to go with nine assists and five rebounds. Jaylon Tyson added 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting and hit all three of his 3-point attempts, while Jarett Allen had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Sam Merrill and Dennis Schroder each contributed 11 points. Schroder was acquired in a trade with Sacramento on Tuesday.
Preparations for the game took a turn with the trade of point guards the day before, though neither player suited up Wednesday. Both teams had to adjust their offenses, plan new defensive schemes and make changes to their starting lineups.
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said his team was watching game film and there was Harden on the screen. Ditto for Lue.
“It feels weird, but at least DG didn’t have to travel and neither did James. They’re both here, so I guess it’s not a big deal,” Lue said.
The Clippers started the game in a hole and never climbed out. They missed all seven of their 3-point attempts in the first quarter and three more in the second before Leonard buried a 26-footer at the 8:43 mark to pull within 40-30.
The Cavs led by 18 points after one quarter and by as much as 20 in the first half, with the bulk of their points coming in the paint, an avenue made easier by the absence of Clippers center Ivica Zubac.
Zubac missed the game for personal reasons – he and his wife welcomed their daughter a day earlier.
Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr., playing his first game since suffering a knee injury on Jan. 3, cut their deficit to 45-38 on a three-point play with 5:58 left in the half, but the Clippers couldn’t sustain their momentum and trailed 62-42 at halftime.
Cleveland led by as much as 35 in the second half.
_More to come on this story._