The Clippers entered their Wednesday game against the Trail Blazers having lost four of their last five games. They got back on track against Portland in a 116-103 win, but they didn’t make the victory as easy as it could have been.

Case and point, James Harden’s decision to play 3-point defense against his teammate Kawhi Leonard rather than give the Clippers superstar an open look.

Harden’s contest came with just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Clippers were leading by 21 when he rocketed a pass to a wide-open Leonard in the corner for what looked like an easy 3-point attempt.

But Harden inexplicably followed his pass to the corner and got a hand in Leonard’s face while he launched the shot.

Naturally, many wondered what Harden’s goal was in closing out Leonard. He was asked about the play in a postgame news conference and detailed his goal in quickly turning his offense into defense.

“I was trying to bring some excitement to this team,” Harden explained to reporters. “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.”

Leonard, for one, didn’t seem amused by Harden’s actions. The 6-9 forward looked exasperated after missing the 3-point shot and appeared to throw his arms up while staring at Harden after the play.

Perhaps The Klaw will eventually be able to laugh about Harden’s defensive effort. Los Angeles cruised to an easy win over Portland, after all.

Still, goofing off in the third quarter isn’t a great look for Harden. The superstar may have been confident the Clippers would beat the Trail Blazers, but even 21-point leads aren’t safe in today’s NBA. Harden doesn’t have to look back too far for a reminder of that, as the Clippers blew one against the Lakers on Feb. 28.

It will be interesting to see whether the Clippers let Harden’s antics slide or if Leonard and coach Tyronn Lue have to talk to the veteran guard about taking every game seriously as Los Angeles looks to avoid the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.