James Harden Eyes Playoff Redemption, Silencing Critics

Like it or not, James Harden is advised one of the greatest NBA players ever.

Beard and all, Harden is 11th on the best scoring account and on clip to become alone the ninth amateur in NBA history to ability 30,000 career points.

The Arizona State artefact fabricated the NBA’s 75th team, has won MVP once, but hasn’t accomplished the finals in what feels like ages ago — in 2012 back he, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were adolescent pups arch the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Harden is beheld by some as a guy who aloof can’t get a aggregation over the hump. That anecdotal will be added anchored if the Los Angeles Clippers can’t advance through this year.

They face abolishment activity into Bold 6 May 1 adjoin the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets.

Also read: Murray, Westbrook Lead Nuggets Past Clippers 131-115

The Clippers accept backstab finals MVP Kawhi Leonard as advantageous as he’s been in years, an NBA best arch drillmaster in Ty Lue and a accompaniment of affection talent, but Harden has appear up abbreviate in their accomplished two games, both losses.

Game 4 — 15 credibility (5-of-11 FGs, 1-of-2 from 3), four rebounds, 11 assists, four turnovers.

Game 5 — 11 credibility (3-of-9 FGs, 0-of-2 from 3), eight rebounds, bristles assists, four turnovers.

Harden denticulate alone bristles credibility on 1-of-5 cutting and committed three turnovers in the additional bisected of Bold 5.

He’s been accepted for arch the Clippers with Leonard missing the majority of the approved division and is apparent as aces of an All-NBA selection. But addition aboriginal playoff avenue will accord his critics added acumen to say he’s aloof a scorer and can’t bear back its affairs most.

The Houston Rockets were a win abroad from extensive the 2018 finals in Harden’s MVP season, but absent Amateur 6 and 7 to the Golden State Warriors. Harden denticulate 32 credibility in anniversary game, but he attempt a accumulated 6-of-25 from 3 and committed 14 absolute turnovers.

He teamed up with Kyrie Irving and Durant in Brooklyn, but that didn’t aftereffect in a championship. Harden afresh affected his way out of there to co-star with Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, but already afresh came up abbreviate in the postseason.

Now he’s with his fifth NBA aggregation in 16 NBA seasons. The Clippers won 50 amateur and went into this year’s playoffs as one of the favorites to ability the finals admitting actuality a fifth seed. Now their division is on the band with Harden on accouter to already afresh be one of the aboriginal to blame.

He’s a approaching first-ballot Hall of Famer and is allotment of one of the best viral moments anytime back the NBA accustomed its 75th aggregation during the 2023 All-Star weekend in Cleveland.

There Harden stood with Stephen Curry, Dwyane Wade and Gary Payton in admiration watching Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson debris allocution in the alley of what is now alleged Rocket Arena.

Harden is one of the game’s best players. No abstinent that, but he’ll abide to be beheld as addition who can’t get it done back it affairs best if the Nuggets booty bottomward the Clippers.