How Clippers’ James Harden Redeemed Himself in Game 6 Win Over Nuggets

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets holds the ball against James Harden #1 of the Los Angeles Clippers (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Every week, Mark Medina shares his thoughts and insights on the latest NBA topics for RG. In this installment, he gives his take on James Harden’s bounce-back game in the LA Clippers’ Game 6 win over the Denver Nuggets.

As he reflected on how he helped salvage the LA Clippers’ season, James Harden yawned and sipped a sports energy drink.

Following the Clippers’ 111-105 win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series on Thursday at Intuit Dome, Harden still felt the strain of what that required. Harden posted a team-leading 28 points on efficient shooting from the field (10-for-20), from 3-point range (3-for-8), and from the free-throw line (5-for-5), along with eight assists, six rebounds, and two steals in 47 minutes.

“I’m tired. I’m tired,” Harden said, while stifling yawns. “A little bit.”

Harden won’t have much time to rest before the Clippers play the Nuggets in Denver on Saturday for a decisive Game 7, a setting that will test his stamina in a pressure-packed and high-altitude environment. That game will also determine whether the Clippers advance to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round or lose in the first round for the third consecutive year. But as Harden stressed about his upcoming minutes, “whatever the team needs, 47, 48, overtime, whatever, I’m willing to do it.”

Ty Lue’s Crucial Adjustment

Harden had just redeemed himself following a sluggish performance in the Clippers’ 131-115 Game 5 loss in Denver on Tuesday. He finished with only 11 points while shooting 3-for-9 from the field and 0-for-2 from deep, along with nearly as many fouls (four) and turnovers (four) as assists (five). That prompted Clippers coach Tyronn Lue to have what Harden described as “multiple conversations” leading into Game 6.

Those conversations hardly resembled the sports movie scenes that depict a demonstrative coach chewing out a key player in hopes of motivating him for a high-stakes game. Instead, Lue had what he called “temperature checks” with all of his players over the phone. That included Harden, which he said entailed brainstorming ideas together on how he could operate easier. On the team’s plane ride from Denver, Harden shared that Lue also stressed, “I need to get you more involved.” Lue reiterated that point before Game 6.

“I take full responsibility for that,” Lue said, “just making sure that I can make him more aggressive and can give him more space to play where they’re not putting two on the ball.”

Lue put Harden in a better position to succeed with a few tweaks.

Lue credited Harden for “setting the tone early” after adjusting the offense to enable him to attack the basket with more aggression. In the second half, Lue then started forward Nicolas Batum to improve the team’s floor spacing so that Harden and Kawhi Leonard had more open looks. Leonard added 27 points on an 11-for-22 clip, 10 rebounds, and five assists.

“Guys have games where they don’t play well during the season. It’s just another game,” Leonard said of Harden.

“I knew he was going to be able to come back and he was going to be aggressive and try to get to his spots. His skill showed that he was able to make shots tonight.”

Ready for Game 7 Challenge

Harden did so despite playing all but a single minute in Game 6. He also played heavy minutes in a 112-110 Game 1 overtime loss in Denver (43 minutes) and a 101-99 Game 4 loss in Denver (43 minutes).

That left Lue feeling “very impressed” with how Harden managed a heavy workload. But it shouldn’t surprise anyone. Harden played in 79 out of the Clippers’ 82 regular-season games in a team-leading 35.3 minutes per game. He only missed three games to heal from soreness in his right groin. Otherwise, the Clippers have acquiesced to Harden’s want to play in every game. That’s because they are impressed with his training habits both in practice and his stamina in games.

“It prepares your body physically to be able to sustain and be able to play both ends of the ball,” Harden said. “Your legs are tired, but you’ve been there before. For me, it’s about finding my spots.”

Can Harden perform the same feats in a decisive Game 7?

He has caught criticism for having dominant regular-season performances with Houston (2012-20) and Brooklyn (2021-22), only to wane in high-stakes playoff games. But that coincided with Harden nursing various ailments. This season, Harden has become more consistent with both his play and his health. He also adjusted for a bigger role when Leonard missed the first 34 games to heal his right knee and sacrificed once Leonard returned.

Despite showing his fatigue with his yawns during his post-game press conference, Harden sounded energetic tackling his next challenge. That will require Harden to dominate an entire game with little or no rest, a feat the Clippers believe he can accomplish for their most important game of the season.

“I have to,” Harden said. “It is what it is. It’s a part of it.”