{"id":275536,"date":"2025-05-04T02:48:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T02:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/04\/james-hardens-lackluster-effort-in-game-7-draws-ire-and-satire-from-fans\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:08:38","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:08:38","slug":"james-hardens-lackluster-effort-in-game-7-draws-ire-and-satire-from-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/04\/james-hardens-lackluster-effort-in-game-7-draws-ire-and-satire-from-fans\/","title":{"rendered":"James Harden\u2019s lackluster effort in Game 7 draws ire and satire from fans"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"4903059\" data-slug-id=\"2503394\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/basketball\/james-harden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">James Harden<\/a> delivered another underwhelming playoff showing as the LA Clippers exited the postseason in the first round, falling 120-101 to the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 on Saturday. The former MVP, long criticized for falling short in the playoffs, once again gave fans a glimpse of that familiar version in the game.<\/p>\n<p>Harden posted just seven points on 2-for-8 shooting across 35 minutes and registered a minus-29 rating. While he dished out 13 assists and grabbed five rebounds, his overall impact fell short of what\u2019s expected in a win-or-go-home matchup.<\/p>\n<p>Fans flooded social media with jokes about Harden, including a jab referencing the viral debate about one gorilla versus 100 men.<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"bets-today-poll\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"preview-card-holder bets-today-poll\">\n<p><span class=\"date\"\/> \u2022 <span class=\"time\"\/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"march-madness-logo\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/march-madness-logo.png\" height=\"42\" width=\"99\" alt=\"march madness logo\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThe gorilla wins for sure if one of the 100 dudes is James Harden,\u201d one said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cCan&#8217;t believe I fell for playoff James harden again. Thought clippers had this series,\u201d another <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NoahF31511\/status\/1918841513414656038\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">commented<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cCLASSIC HARDEN \ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25\ud83d\udd25,\u201d another fan said, posting stats of Harden in Game 7s.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Following the defeat, Harden now holds a 3-4 record in Game 7s. Across those seven contests, he has averaged 19.2 points and 7.9 assists while shooting just 35.5% overall and 23.2% from deep.<\/p>\n<p>He has had some standout moments in elimination games, especially with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/basketball\/houston-rockets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Rockets<\/a>, but also several low points \u2014 like in 2023 with the Sixers, when he scored just nine points, and now this loss to Denver, which made him the first player to drop a Game 7 with four different franchises.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cIf there\u2019s a Hall of Fame for coming up short when it matters most? They already hangin\u2019 the beard in bronze,\u201d one <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BroadwayUNC\/status\/1918848909218115690\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">said<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cDon\u2019t you ever mention James Harden in the same conversation with DWade ever again in your life,\u201d another <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/CuffsTheLegend\/status\/1918832951724318901\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">said<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cJames Harden is the most consistent player we\u2019ve seen,\u201d another <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/swishout\/status\/1918839537834377333\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">quipped<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><strong>James Harden, Kawhi Leonard-led Clippers crash out of playoffs<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The LA Clippers held a slim five-point edge after the opening quarter, 26-21, but the Denver Nuggets caught fire, dominating the second and third frames by 16 points each to bury the Clippers in a deficit they couldn\u2019t recover from.<\/p>\n<p>Nikola Jokic flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun chipped in 22 and 21 points, respectively.<\/p>\n<p>Jamal Murray and Russell Westbrook each added 16, while Michael Porter Jr. contributed 15 to the effort.<\/p>\n<p>For the Clippers, only Kawhi Leonard cracked the 20-point barrier with 22, as Ivica Zubac added a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds.<\/p>\n<p>The Nuggets won\u2019t get much time to rest, with Game 1 of their second-round matchup against the top-seeded OKC Thunder tipping off Monday.<\/p>\n<p>As for the Clippers, they head into yet another offseason filled with uncertainty and looming questions about the future with their star duo.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-author-info-parent\">\n<span class=\"about-the-author\">About the author<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-info-holder\">\n<div class=\"author-pic-holder\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"author-pic\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,&lt;svg width=\" height=\"100\"\/><rect width=\"100\" height=\"100\" style=\"fill:rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\/>&#8221; data-lazy=&#8221;https:\/\/keedag.sportskeeda.com\/user-pic\/1253811-1730125987-200.jpg?w=200&#8243;<br \/>\nalt=&#8221;John Ezekiel Hirro&#8221; height=&#8221;72&#8243; width=&#8221;72&#8243;&gt;\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-bio-detail-holder\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p class=\"author-bio\" id=\"author-bio-text\">\nJohn Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.<\/p>\n<p>He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university&#8217;s official student publication, for four years\u2014the longest in history.<\/p>\n<p>A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant&#8217;s departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.<\/p>\n<p>He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson&#8217;s record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.\n<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"author-know-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/author\/hirrojohnezekiel-0b23b\" aria-label=\"Author know more\">Know More<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/basketball\/news-the-gorilla-wins-sure-james-harden-s-lackluster-effort-game-7-draws-ire-satire-fans\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] James Harden delivered another underwhelming playoff showing as the LA Clippers exited the postseason in the first round, falling 120-101 to the Denver Nuggets<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":275537,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275536"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=275536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/275537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=275536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=275536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=275536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}