James Harden has eight in overtime as Clippers rally past Raptors 121-117
Written by The Canadian Press on January 16, 2026
TORONTO — James Harden scored 31 points, including eight in overtime, as the Los Angeles Clippers rallied past the Toronto Raptors 121-117 on Friday.
Harden and Ivica Zubac each had a double-double as Los Angeles (18-23) extended its winning streak to five games.
Harden added 10 assists and Zubac scored 16 and pulled down 14 rebounds.
Jamal Shead had a double-double with 15 points and a career-high 13 assists, playing in place of Immanuel Quickley in Toronto’s (25-18) starting lineup.
Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 24 points and added seven rebounds and six assists. Brandon Ingram scored 19 points with six rebounds.
Quickley missed the game with back spasms.
Starting centre Jakob Poeltl (lower back strain) and swingman RJ Barrett (left ankle sprain) of Mississauga, Ont., were also unavailable.
Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard, who helped Toronto win the 2019 NBA championship, was out with knee and ankle injuries.
Takeaways
Clippers: Los Angeles trailed by as many as 14 points, but opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run to tie the game. The Clippers outscored Toronto 31-20 in that period and Harden took over in the extra period to complete the comeback.
Raptors: Stiff defence from Toronto for most of the game led to 23 fast-break points, 10 more than the Clippers. It also made Harden go 2-for-15 from three-point range. But defensive lapses — especially on Harden — led to Toronto’s collapse.
Key moment
The Clippers ran an isolation play for Harden with the game tied 109-109 and time winding down but Shead played stifling defence, preventing the star from scoring and forcing overtime.
Key stat
Shead has had five or more assists in a career-high seven consecutive games (Jan. 5-16). His eight assists in the first half tied the most in any half this season.
Up next
Toronto: Visits the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday to kick off a five-game road trip.
L.A.: Visits the Washington Wizards for a matinee on Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2026.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press