The Los Angeles Clippers needed a great performance by James Harden on Thursday, and they got one. Faced with elimination, the Clippers retained the Denver Nuggets, 111-105, in match 6 behind 28 points, eight assists and six Harden rebounds. Match 7 is scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 am he in Denver. Close.
If Harden had laid an egg in it, it would have been wise to stay offline for a few days because it would have been in a social falsehood given its overall reputation for the withdrawal of the playoffs (which, to be fair, is quite exaggerated), and more precisely its recent history of prery from the late series, which is irrefutable.
The figures, as they say, do not lie. During his last 11 playoff games in the face of elimination, Harden had 1-10 and pulled less than 40% in the game on Thursday. During his last five elimination games, all defeats, he had only 17.6 points per game on average.
It was the first elimination match that Harden won since 2020, when the Rockets managed to defeat the Thunder despite Harden missing 11 of his 15 shots and eight of his nine 3 points.
These end -of -series stinks are, unfortunately, a characteristic of the Biography of Harden in the playoffs. Two years ago with Philadelphia, Harden collected 45 and 42 points in two of the first four games in the 76th series in the second round against Boston. The Sixers actually led this 3-2 series, but in matches 6 and 7, Harden combined for only 22 points on a 3-point shot 1 for 11. He had nine points in match 7.
Last season was the same story. Harden collected on average 26 points in the first four games in the Clippers series in the first round against Dallas; He then scored seven points in match 5 and missed his six of his 3 points in match 6 while the Clippers went from 2-2 to elimination.
This Denver series took place almost exactly at the Harden script. He went out by shooting with 32 in match 1 … Then started the descent because he only made 16 points on 2-5 matches. In the Pivot 5 match with the 2-2 equality series, Harden went for 11. His shooting attempts also dropped like Clockwork, from 22 in match 1 to 17 in match 2, 14 in match 3, 11 in match 4 and finally nine in match 5.
Everything was put in place so that it was the goat – not the right kind – with a failure of match 6.
But he reversed the trend, marking 21 points in the first half. If you are a pessimist, you will notice that he has only scored seven points in the second half, but now you are difficult. A great game of elimination of James Harden is not something to bake because it does not often happen.
The stay of social slander may not last long with match 7 that is looming. If Harden lays an egg in this one and the mowers lose, nobody will remember what he did in match 6. And, at least statistically, it is a fairly solid bet that Harden will not be able to deliver a second jewel of right elimination.
Consider that even with Thursday’s performance, Harden still managed to score only more than 20 points in 12 of his 25 career elimination games. It is less than a 50%clip. For reference, LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin during combined to play in 59 career games confronted with elimination, and between the three, they have only done less than 20 points three times. It is a 95%bet.
Harden, on the other hand, is only a 48% bet to exceed 20 points in an elimination match. Worse, since 2020, it is a bet of 16% (2 for 12) earn An elimination match, even including Thursday evening’s victory. Can it really do it twice in a row? Mathematics and its history do not suggest.
