James Harden Contested Kawhi Leonard's Shot Just For the Vibes

After dropping two straight, the Los Angeles Clippers returned to their winning ways on Wednesday night by taking care of the Blazers in Portland. At one point they led 81-60 and James Harden decided to tip his toe into previously unexplored waters of playing defense so he closed out hard on a corner three-pointer. The only problem is that the person shooting it was his Clippers teammate Kawhi Leonard.

Harden's contest was not in vain as the shot rattled off. Leonard, who is not exactly known for showing any type of emotion, was clearly confused and unsettled by the unorthodox decision, which Harden explained postgame.

"I was trying to bring some excitement to this team," Harden said. "I think these last few weeks have been a fog for us. I think every team goes through it. So I think it was just me trying to create energy, create a great vibe for this team. Maybe it would've been better if he had made the shot, but give them something to laugh about, some excitement."

He's not wrong. This is something for all the Clippers to laugh at and some excitement for them to enjoy. The team could honestly use a spark as they'd dropped 10 of their previous 18 games headed into last night and lost a ton of ground in the Western Conference playoff chase.

Desperate times call for very annoying measures.