From 23 points to 19 points, the key game is invisible and overrated, you are indeed out of the championship

On this year's playoff stage, many players' performances were amazing. For example, Antetokounmpo, although the Bucks failed to laugh to the end, his personal performance was impeccable. In the five-game series, Antetokounmpo averaged 33.0 points, snatched 15.4 rebounds and sent 6.4 assists. His average score and rebounds average ranked first in the league, fully interpreting his personal heroism. However, unfortunately, the current Bucks are no longer as brave as they were. The tragic reality of Antetokounmpo leading the team alone has made their hope of breaking through the siege and winning the championship in the playoffs even more slim.

Also worthy of praise is Tatum, who led the Celtics to easily eliminate the Magic with a score of 4-1 in the first round of playoffs. Although the attention of this group of matches was not high, Tatum silently contributed an epic performance. He averaged 31.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game, with a real shooting percentage of up to 60.1%, setting a new record for Celtic players in the first round of playoffs. What is even more commendable is that Tatum is not a player who pursues personal data too much. He is brave enough to shoulder the heavy responsibility of defense on the court, and shows extremely high standards on both offense and defense. He is fully integrated into the team system, but can produce such dazzling data. This is undoubtedly a huge leap in his personal ability. Tatum said of the mentality of the playoffs this season, "I feel unprecedentedly relaxed this season. After winning the championship last year, I lifted all the psychological burden. Although our goals this year have not changed and I am eager to win the championship trophy again, my mentality is now enjoying the game and looking for fun to play. I have also set many goals for myself, but in the process, I am more comfortable and relaxed."

However, in sharp contrast to Tatum's outstanding performance, the performance of Clippers guard James Harden in the playoffs was a disappointment. Harden has not yet won the championship in his career, and this year should have been the year he has the most hope of winning the championship - all the players in the Los Angeles Clippers remained healthy in the playoffs, and the team's core players were not absent from the first game to the fifth game. More importantly, their prospects for winning the championship were once favored by the outside world at the end of the regular season this season, especially after Leonard returned to form. However, Harden's performance in the playoffs failed to meet expectations, which is undoubtedly a great regret for him and the Clippers. In the last 21 games of the regular season, the Clippers achieved 18 wins and 3 losses, and successfully concluded with an 8-game winning streak. At the same time, in the fierce competition for playoff tickets, they successfully defeated the Warriors, which Curry and Butler played together. The reason why the Clippers have such firm confidence is on the one hand due to the recovery in their condition of the two core players, Leonard and Harden, and on the other hand, it is because the team's role players have also made rapid progress, with Powell's average score significantly increased from 14 points last season to 22 points this season.

Inside player Zubac is at its peak, and he has become one of the best blue-collar centers in the active league. Compared with his average of 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last season, his average data jumped to 16.8 points and 12.6 rebounds this season. Zubac's progress has undoubtedly added strong strength to the Clippers' inside line. The reason why Zubac has achieved such a huge improvement is closely related to Harden's strong support. As a top point guard, Harden's precise passes have created countless scoring opportunities for Zubac, allowing the center to fully realize its potential on the offensive end.

Regardless of his performance in the playoffs, Harden has performed well in the regular season this season, and has shown a dream of returning to the peak in all aspects. Since Leonard was absent from the first half of the season due to injury, Harden knew that he needed to take on greater leadership responsibilities. Therefore, he showed stronger aggressiveness on the offensive end, increasing his average score from 16 points last season to 23 points this season, and his average shots increased by 5 times. Especially in the game against the Pistons in early March, Harden scored 50 points in a single game, which was his first time in a single game since leaving the Rockets.

For most of the regular season, Harden was the leader of the Clippers, leading the team to the north. After three years, he was selected for the All-Star lineup again and won the Player of the Week in the last episode of the season. It is worth mentioning that Harden's last winning of the Player of the Week was dated back to February 21, when he played for the Nets.

However, when the playoffs arrived, Harden's performance was shocking. It seems to be back to paddling mode. After five playoff games, he averaged only 19.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game. In addition to scoring 31 points in the first game, his scores did not exceed 20 points in the next four games, and his offensive desire also showed a significant downward trend. From the first game to the fifth game, Harden's shots were 22, 17, 14, 11 and 9, one game smaller than the other.

's average of 19 points has turned Harden's team status in the playoffs from the eldest to the third. Even if he doesn't perform as well as Leonard, it's surprising that he's not even as good as Zubac. Zubac averaged 20.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, which is crucial to Jokic's restrictive effect. Without it, the Clippers may suffer a defeat earlier in the series against the Nuggets. It is true that Harden's touch is not extremely bad. However, once he enters the playoffs, he seems to be bound by invisible shackles, unable to overcome inner obstacles, and his offensive enthusiasm has dropped significantly. It is particularly worth noting that at the critical moment of the game, his performance became increasingly weak, and it was almost impossible to find him in the final quarter. Taking the crucial battle of Tianwang Mountain in G5 as an example, Harden scored only 9 points in 9 shots. Obviously, he tended to be conservative in shooting choices.. In fact, in the last five games of the King of Kings, Harden averaged only 10.8 points per game, shooting percentage was only 28%, and three-point shooting percentage was as low as 16%.

Looking back, in the second round of the Nets against the Bucks in 2021, Harden made only 10 shots in the game, 0 of 8 three-pointers, scoring only 5 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists; in the second round of the 76ers against the Heat in the second round of the 2022, Harden made 5 of 13 shots, scored 14 points, and the 76ers lost by 35 points; in the second round of the 2023, Harden scored 17 points in the second round of the 2023, and made 8 shots; in 2024, Harden made 2 of the 12 shots, scoring only 7 points, and the Clippers lost by 30 points. Not only did G5 perform poorly, G6's Harden is also disappointing, with his career playoff record of only 3 wins and 12 losses, with a winning rate as low as 20%. Even in the Rockets era, Harden averaged only 20 points per game in G6, showing the tremendous pressure he has been under in key games.

As reporter Jason Timpf said, Harden's condition in the playoffs was incompatible with the tense atmosphere of the game, and his level of investment was obviously insufficient. Faced with such a dilemma, will the Clippers repeat the same mistake and be eliminated in the first round? This is undoubtedly the focus of all fans.