Harden: Clippers in 'difficult' situation after rough November

James Harden is sounding the alarm.

Saturday's 114-110 loss to the Dallas Mavericks capped a brutal month for the Los Angeles Clippers, during which they won just two of 15 games. As a result, the experienced squad now sits closer to the bottom of the Western Conference than a spot in the play-in.

"Situation here is difficult," Harden said after the latest defeat, according to Sports Illustrated's Joey Linn. "We're not making shots offensively. Defensively, the game plan mistakes we allow to happen too many times. That's one of the reasons why we lose games."

Los Angeles led for most of Saturday's matchup but couldn't hold off a Mavericks rally that began late in the third quarter. After a three by Harden gave the Clippers a 77-69 lead with just under five minutes left in the frame, Dallas responded with a 14-6 run to tie the game entering the fourth. That set the scene for a 17-point final quarter from Klay Thompson to seal a comeback win.

Harden scored 29 points but shot just 5-of-17 (2-of-6 on threes) from the field. He added eight rebounds and 11 assists but had a game-high seven turnovers.

Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg, meanwhile, had the best game of his career. The No. 1 pick tallied a personal-best 35 points on 13-of-22 shooting to go with eight rebounds and two assists.

Only three teams - the Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, and Utah Jazz - have been worse defensively this month than the Clippers, who allowed 120.5 points per 100 possessions. Los Angeles' .133 winning percentage in November is tied for the second-worst in the month in franchise history; the 1994-95 team went 0-13 in November 1994. That Clippers squad finished the regular season with the league's worst record at 17-65, nine games back of the second-worst.