James Harden and LA Clippers were embarrassed in Game 7 as the Denver Nuggets obliterated them by 19 points to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
The Denver Nuggets showed why they are built for the moment. In a Game 7 with their backs against the wall, they came out of the blocks swinging to beat the LA Clippers.
And not only did they beat them, they did so decisively, winning by 19 points. It truly felt like the Nuggets had a chip on their shoulder. It didn’t help that James Harden put up an abysmal 7 points.
Perhaps David Adelman motivated the Nuggets using the fouls he felt Nikola Jokic didn’t get in Game 6. Whatever Adelman told the Nuggets, it worked to get them going.
Nikola Jokic has taken on a bigger leadership role under Adelman. And he showed it tonight, as he was the catalyst for the Nuggets’ stellar outing.
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Several fans poked fun at the Clippers. One fan took to X to write, “That time of the year when the Clippers go home early and everyone reminisces on why Kawhi should’ve never left Toronto.”
Not everyone was in a joking mood, as one Clippers fan wrote, “The Clippers somehow find a way to make people believe in them every year after proving themselves untrustworthy over and over again.”
Naturally, much of the blame went to James Harden, with one fan writing, “Everybody predicted a Harden disasterclass and look at him “Everybody predicted a Harden disasterclass and look at him.”
Another neutral fan suggested, “Every time I think Harden’s playoff resume can’t get worse, he drops another game 7 stinker.”
While a Heat fan tried to shut down a narrative by saying, “James Harden’s name should never be mentioned in the same sentence as Dwyane Wade. Enough is enough.”
A Nuggets fan pointed out, “Harden looks unserious, while Russ is having his best series in years. I know who’s better all time.”
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Unfortunately, if you’re not a fan of the Clippers, it’s hard to be surprised by this James Harden performance. This was his fourth Game 7 of his career.
And much like the first three, Harden put up yet another terrible performance. The conversations about Harden’s ability to deliver when the lights are on bright will only get louder.
Bill Simmons recently claimed Harden’s playoff disappointments will be remembered more than his brilliant regular-season exploits.
It’s hard to see how the Clippers, or any other NBA team, will trust Harden after this. In fact, Harden could be on a new NBA team at the start of next season.
