James Harden holds the playoffs record for most games with 10-plus shot attempts

The Clippers woke up today from a tough game in Los Angeles in this embarrassing loss on Wednesday against the Mavericks in Game 5 of the first round of the postseason. The Texans now lead the series 3-2 and head back to Dallas for Game 6, largely thanks to another surprising performance from former league MVP James Harden.

The superstar went 2 of 12, missing 6 of his 7 shots from beyond the arc. The veteran player now holds the record for most playoff games with 10 or more attempts and two or fewer games, the 10th time this has happened in his career.

As The Beard produced strong performances in his team's two-game series win, coach Ty Lue defended him. “Being human,” he said after the game. “You are allowed to have a bad game. We didn't shoot the ball well. They tried to stand up and push themselves a little bit, which we didn't catch like we did in the first four games. You played badly. It is possible. He didn't play well.”

Jaden Hardy in 6 minutes tonight:
14 PTS / 1 AST / 5-8 FG / 2-4 3PT

James Harden in 33 minutes tonight:
7 PTS / 7 AST / 2-12 FG / 1-7 3PT

Yes 😬 pic.twitter.com/eHPcauXaBl

– MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) May 2, 2024

Despite losing 123 to 93, the biggest loss for the LA franchise in the postseason, their players were calm after the storm. Paul George, for example, simplified their poor work with “the unethical mistakes we made.”

“That's not who we were in this series, and that's not who we are,” he added. “We have to be better, especially in this situation. But we've been here before, we go to Dallas as we're down 3-2, so we have to have a mindset of only winning in Dallas. “

In the fourth quarter, the contest seemed more determined, as both coaches decided to take their starters out and give them a rest before a possible shutout at Texas on Friday.

The Clippers strategist was well aware that his team lacked concentration in general. “We didn't play well all around,” said Lue. “Defensively, offensively, we didn't play a good game. That's right. Turn the page.”

Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 35 points despite playing on a right knee.

Dallas star Luka Doncic was everything James Harden hoped he would be in Game 5 of this best-of-seven Western Conference game. The Slovenian star scored 20 of his 35 points in the second half, and added 10 assists and 7 rebounds to his impressive stat line.

Perhaps the most impressive fact, is how effective the European guard was while playing with a sprained right knee. Not only that, but the star has been sick and cramped for days as he has been seen blowing his nose during timeouts. If this was the regular season, he would probably be on the sidelines.

“I think it was a great game,” Luka said after the game. “We are winning, now we have to win one of the two. We have to go back to Dallas and play the same way.”

However, when asked about his injury, he said the knee is “not good,” but he has no time to rest. “But you talk about the adrenaline in the final,” he shared. “Once you start, you want to do everything you can to help your team win. I wanted to continue.”