Clippers' James Harden Explains Viral Video Attempting to Block Kawhi Leonard's Shot

Playing in a non-competitive NBA game can lead to a lot of shenanigans on the court, like James Harden acting like he's trying to block a three-point attempt from Kawhi Leonard.

The play occurred in the third quarter of the Los Angeles Clippers' 116-103 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. Harden passed the ball to a wide-open Leonard for a corner three, but the former NBA MVP decided to try closing out on his teammate.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Harden said his intention was to lighten the mood for the Clippers by bringing "some excitement" to the game and to try to get them out of a "fog" they've been in over the past few weeks.

It was a strange moment, though not one that negatively impacted the Clippers. They were winning by 21 when the possession started. Even though Leonard missed the three, Ivica Zubac was able to get the offensive rebound.

Harden found Amir Coffey in the opposite corner of Leonard's attempt, and the 26-year-old connected. Los Angeles was up by 24 going into the fourth quarter. Leonard didn't play at all in the final period. Paul George exited with 6:50 remaining in the game, followed by Harden with just under six minutes to play.

In addition to trying out his comedy routine, Harden played his best game in a couple of weeks. He scored 19 points on an efficient 6-of-11 shooting (5-of-9 from three-point range) and dished out 14 assists.

Wednesday was the first time Harden shot at least 50 percent from the field since a March 4 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks (9-of-16).

The Clippers have been going through a rough patch lately with an 8-10 record in their last 18 games, even with Wednesday's victory. Their last game prior to taking on the Blazers was a 17-point home loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.

Los Angeles (42-25) has fallen to fourth in the Western Conference and seems unlikely to get back into the top three. The team is five games back of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 1 spot and four games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves (47-22) for the No. 3 seed.

It's not impossible to make up that deficit, but it will be extremely difficult with just 15 games remaining in the regular season.

At some point, the Clippers might try to play for matchups. The Denver Nuggets seem like the team that most clubs will want to avoid in the postseason as long as possible. They are currently the No. 2 seed, but only .005 percentage points behind the Thunder for the top spot.

If the Nuggets were to get the No. 1 seed, they would play the winner of the 4-5 series in the second round if they advance. If they stay in the 2-3 range, the Clippers could stay where they are and avoid them until a potential Western Conference Finals matchup.