James Harden has misplaced a Sport 7 with 4 completely different NBA groups

In all places James Harden tried to go, there was Christian Braun in his method. For that, thank the non-public scouting report supplied up from Harden’s former teammate and Denver Nuggets sixth man Russell Westbrook. He handed alongside loads of helpful tricks to Braun about guarding the Los Angeles Clippers’ star.

Intently lined by Braun all evening, Harden was simply 2-of-8 from the ground and scored seven factors within the Clippers’ season-ending 120-101 loss to the Nuggets on Saturday in Sport 7 of their first-round playoff sequence.

Harden has now misplaced a Sport 7 with 4 completely different groups: the Houston Rockets (2018), Brooklyn Nets (2021), Philadelphia 76ers (2023) and now the Clippers. In these 4 losses, Harden has averaged 17.5 factors per sport whereas taking pictures 33.8% (22-of-65) from the ground. 

His groups have gone 3-4 in Sport 7s all through his profession. 

This yr’s matchup with the Nuggets was a sporadic taking pictures sequence for Harden throughout as he shot 43.6%. After going off for 32 factors in Sport 1, he averaged simply 16.5 factors per sport the remainder of the sequence.

“James is a tricky cowl,” stated Westbrook, who was teammates with Harden final season. “Christian did an excellent job making an attempt to make the sport tough on him. I assumed he did a superb job and he has been doing that every one yr.”

Braun deflected the credit score. He stated he was in a position to play tighter protection on Harden due to gamers resembling Aaron Gordon behind him. They had been there ready, simply in case Harden broke away.

“I couldn’t choose him up and strain him all sport if I didn’t have the fellows behind me that had been flying round,” Braun stated.

Braun listened intently to the phrases of knowledge from Westbrook.

“He’s performed towards James. He’s performed with James, so he type of is aware of his sport,” Braun stated. “He was telling me what appears to be like to provide him, when to provide him this look, when to do that, when to pressure him proper, when he goes proper that is what he’s doing. I discovered that over the course of this sequence. I acquired higher and higher as we went and the fellows and the coaches trusted me tonight. We didn’t need to swap, they stored me on him all evening.”

Braun was simply as huge on the offensive finish, too. He had 21 factors, together with three 3-pointers in Sport 7. Nevertheless it was his protection that earned probably the most reward.

“He did what he’s been doing,” Nuggets interim coach David Adelman stated. “We tried to be a little bit extra conservative as soon as he crossed half-court within the protection. However then it was on Christian to get by way of screens and get again in entrance of him, to keep up our protection.”

For Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, it was a tough forty eighth birthday. His crew trailed by double digits at halftime and fell behind by 35 factors within the fourth quarter.

“Robust loss. Not enjoying our greatest sport in a scenario like this, quite a lot of feelings,” Lue stated. “I instructed guys to carry it in, one final hug.”

They will take solace in the truth that Kawhi Leonard heads into the offseason as wholesome as he is been shortly. He did not make his season debut till Jan. 4 as a result of points together with his surgically repaired proper knee. Harden held issues down till Leonard’s return, which Lue applauded.

The Clippers entered the postseason because the league’s hottest crew, having received 18 of 21, and Lue was already trying previous the frustration.

“These two collectively for a complete season, I feel shall be large,” Lue stated.

Harden, although, turns 36 in August and Leonard turns 34 subsequent month. Is there a degree of encouragement the Clippers can proceed to construct round them?

“I assume we’re nonetheless enjoying at a excessive degree in a way,” Leonard stated. “It’ a tough query to reply proper now.”

The Related Press contributed to this report.

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