The Denver Nuggets took the LA Clippers a 3-2 series lead after a strong Game 5 victory.
LA Clippers play this series so well that it was unlucky to be tied up 2-2 after the opening four games.
There was no misfortune about their fifth game as the Denver Nuggets scored a 3-2 series lead.
Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with a big 43-point performance. That was the difference. He lived up to his reputation for lifting his game in the playoffs.
On the other side, James Harden had a reputation for being short in a key playoff game.
The LA Clippers needed a massive performance from James Harden and didn’t get it
Harden only scored 11 points in 35 minutes. Kawhi Leonard scored 20 and Ivica Zubac led with 27.
And this gives more to the story of Harden’s performance taking a step back when it really matters.
One X fan wrote: “I can’t trust James Harden.
The second is, “James Harden never fails to be a non-factor in the playoffs.”
Another fan leaned over and said, “It’s the classic James Harden performance of the playoff game 5/6/7.”
“Death Tax and James Harden are making no-shows stronger in the playoffs,” another wrote.
The fifth writes: “James Harden has been doing what has disappeared in the playoffs for over a decade. This is nothing new. He deserves smoke.”
“James Harden is playoff trash. It’s just not built so far,” another blows up.
Don’t underestimate James Harden’s collapse in the playoffs.
This Game 5 performance was James Harden’s worst performance to date in these playoffs.
Harden scored 32 points in Game 1, but failed to score more than 20 points in the remaining four games.
His 11 points in Game 5 is his lowest output, and if the Clipper equalizes the series and ultimately wins, he needs to improve.
Back to his previous spells with the Houston Rockets, Harden’s postseason performance has been shot for a long time compared to the incredible heights he set for the regular season.
Currently, 35-year-old Harden is still playing at a high level, but the playoff story seems inevitable.